Literature Review

VITAS Hospice Services faces serious data breach investigation Investors Hangout; by Evelyn Baker; 12/9/25 ... In a significant turn of events, VITAS Hospice Services, LLC, the largest for-profit hospice chain in the United States, is facing scrutiny due to a massive data breach. Recent investigations revealed that sensitive information of 319,177 patients was compromised, raising concerns over data security and patient privacy. As investigations continue, more details about the breach are emerging, prompting calls for accountability from the company.

Poured out and given: The lived experience of self-care among hospice nurses in rural Appalachia Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing; by Amanda Camden, Sandra P Thomas, Lisa C Lindley, Lisa Davenport, Ali Winters; 12/5/25, Online ahead of print Hospice nurses encounter profound challenges that make self-care both essential and deeply complex. ... The findings suggest that practicing self-care must be augmented by other actions such as systemic changes, caseload limits, leadership training, and structured emotional support systems. This study highlights the urgent need for health care systems to prioritize hospice nurses' well-being and help sustain compassionate nursing care.

Hospice margins dropping despite utilization gains Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/9/25 Hospice margins are falling despite record-high utilization, according to data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The commission has released its draft recommendations to Congress, repeating its annual call to eliminate hospice payment rate increases in future years. “For fiscal year, 2027, Congress should eliminate the update to the 2026 Medicare base payment rate for hospice,” MedPAC indicated in its draft recommendations. ... The average Medicare fee-for-service margin for hospices fell to 8% in 2023, down from 9.8% in 2022 and 14.2% in 2020, according to MedPAC. Among for-profit providers, the average 2023 margin was 13.7%, whereas nonprofits in aggregate showed a loss at -1.3%. These numbers exclude cap overpayments and non-reimbursible costs.

Hospice of South Texas announces full funding for new support services building PROLG Press Release Distribution, Victoria, TX; by Hospice of South Texas; 12/8/25 Hospice of South Texas (HOST) is grateful to announce that the Support Services Building is now fully funded. This milestone was reached through a remarkable $700,000 gift from the M. G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation and the generous support of many additional donors. Their partnership ensures continued access to nonprofit, compassionate hospice care for families across twelve South Texas counties. 

The complex quandary over hospice relatedness Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/5/25 Questions over which services are deemed related to patients’ terminal diagnosis in hospice care are crucial, and physicians’ determinations of those factors may be growing more complex. ... CMS has taken a stance that essentially all the care needed by a terminally ill patient should be covered through the benefit. However, that is not always what happens in practice. ...  When considering relatedness, physicians must take a holistic approach, according to Dr. Lauren Templeton, hospice physician consultant at Weatherbee Resources and Physician Council member at The Pennant Group. ... In most cases, hospices should err on the side of considering conditions related, when possible, for the sake of their patients, Templeton indicated. “If it’s impacting the plan of care for our patients, that would make it related for us,” Templeton said.

Data book: Beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid MEDPAC (Medicare Payment Advisory Commision) and MACPAC (Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission); December 2025 This data book is a joint project of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The data book presents information on the demographic and other personal characteristics, expenditures, and health care utilization of individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Dually eligible beneficiaries receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits by virtue of their age or disability and low income. This population is diverse and includes individuals with multiple chronic conditions, physical disabilities, and cognitive impairments such as dementia, developmental disabilities, and mental illness. It also includes some individuals who are relatively healthy.

Hope Hospice Center completes, exceeds $15M capital campaign Times-Leader, Fairfield, MT; by Keila Szpaller; 12/1/25 Before the Hope Hospice Center opened in Missoula in July, people working on the project toured different facilities in the country looking for ideas. ... They learned that families are as integral to the mission as their loved ones, even that it’s advisable to have multiple USB ports in a room and couches that convert into beds. ... Now, four months after opening its doors to families across Montana, the Hope Hospice Center has served more than 100 patients and their families, exceeded a $15 million capital campaign by $200,000 ... 

[United Kingdom] Hospice to close dementia support service BBC News, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, UK; by Emma Petrie; 11/30/25 A hospice in Lincoln has announced the closure of a dementia support service because they say it is no longer financially viable. The Admiral Nurse Service, funded by St Barnabas Hospice, will close from March 2026. Admiral nurses are specialist dementia nurses who work across the UK to provide free advice and support to families and individuals living with dementia.

Retention first: The smarter recruitment strategy for nonprofits Forbes; by James Dismond; 11/25/25 Retaining talent at a nonprofit has always had its challenges, but today, it’s becoming unsustainable. ... A recent report found that nearly half of nonprofit leaders cite recruitment or retention as their top challenge, and nearly two-thirds report struggling to fill staff vacancies in the past year. In my industry of hospice and palliative care, the shortage of qualified talent is even more devastating. Right now, there are merely 13.35 hospice and palliative care specialists per 100,000 seniors in the United States. This is concerning because turnover of registered hospice nurses reached 25% in 2023—more than double the private-sector average.

Can tech restore the human side of care? Becker's Health IT; by Ella Jeffries; 11/14/25 Technology has been both a promise and a problem in healthcare. When EHRs arrived in hospitals, they were heralded as a revolution — bringing order to messy paper charts and standardizing how care was documented. But soon after, clinicians found themselves staring more at screens than at the patients sitting in front of them. Now, nurse leaders say the very systems that once distanced them from patients could hold the key to rebuilding that connection.

Hospice gets free solar power as firms chip in BBC News, Luton, England; by Louise Parry; 11/22/25 A solar company said it had seen "amazing generosity" from local and international firms who pulled together to provide a hospice with free renewable power. Keech Hospice in Luton has received an array of 504 photovoltaic panels, which would usually cost about £200,000 to install. "We're calling it a solar legacy project, not just a one-off donation, as it will save the hospice £50,000 a year," said project manager Eddie Doherty. Liz Searle, chief executive of Keech said: "This gift doesn't just power our building — it powers hope, care, and community for years to come."

Mercy Hospice House temporarily closes; parent company to assume outpatient care The Durango Herald, Durango, CO; by Elizabeth Pond; 11/17/25 The Mercy Hospice House, an end of life care wing of Mercy Hospital, has temporarily closed because of a change in outpatient service ownership and a required licensing review. A reopening date has not been determined. The facility, owned and operated by CommonSpirit Health, will transfer leadership of outpatient services to its national entity, CommonSpirit Health at Home, said Kevin Massey, a spokesman. Inpatient hospice care will continue under CommonSpirit Health and Mercy Hospital, he said.

How CFOs can harness the power of their shifting role HealthLeaders - Analysis; by Marie Defreitas; 11/17/25 As turnover rises and expectations expand, CFOs are redefining their influence; from financial stewards to enterprise strategists and even future CEOs. The role's evolution demands new skills, deeper relationships, and a broader vision of what value means. ...