Literature Review

AAPA asks CMS to remove regulatory restrictions on PAs providing hospice care American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA); by Trevor Simon; 7/9/25 In June 2025, AAPA submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the topics of hospice, skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. These comments, in response to annually released proposed rules that make adjustments to the hospice wage index and respective fee schedules, responded directly to inquiries made within the rules, as well as identified policy obstacles faced by PAs in these settings. [Continue reading for] a brief summary of the topics AAPA discussed in each, with links to the full letters.

Connecticut Hospice back on sound financial footing; many credit local business owner Barbara Pearce for turnaround CTPost, Branford, CT; by Mark Zaretsky; 7/12/25 Connecticut Hospice, the nation's first hospice facility, appears to finally be out of the financial woods now — but that wasn't the case a few years ago. And many people outside its inner circle may not know just how precarious its situation was and how a well-known business owner played a key role in the turnaround. Barbara Pearce, CEO of Pearce Real Estate, put her life and her role in the real estate company her late father founded on hold for six years to take over at Hospice and make hard decisions to steer it back to health. Hospice has new leadership now. New President and CEO Sylvia Allais is working to move Connecticut Hospice forward. 

Health care attorneys: Hospice investigations coming from all sides Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/8/25 Hospices are subject to a rising number of investigations and audits from Medicare contractors, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and, in some cases, the U.S. Justice Department, among others. Hospices need to understand the various types of investigations they may encounter and how to respond to them. Key factors are completely and accurately documenting the medical necessity of the care they receive. Hospice News sat down with Guillermo Beades and Todd Brower, partners with the law firm Frier Levitt to discuss the ins-and-outs of hospice investigations and how providers should respond.

Reopening of Hospice House stalls after Seasons Hospice exits Steele County Southernminn, Faribault, MN; by Annie Harman; 7/1/25 What has been a continuing journey of peaks and valleys has come upon yet another roadblock as volunteers with the Homestead Hospice House announce the reopening of the residential hospice facility will be put on hold. The news comes after Seasons Hospice, a nonprofit hospice care organization based out of Rochester, has made the decisions to discontinue their home care and hospice services in Steele County. Seasons had initially partnered with the board of the Homestead Hospice House in August 2024 to work toward reopening the facility, raising $850,000 — $350,000 to reopen the facility and cover startup funds for IT and staff, and an additional $500,000 to secure operating funds for the first year. 

Hospice programs shutter amid financial strains Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/3/25 Financial and staffing headwinds are chipping away at hospices’ sustainability, with some providers recently pausing or closing their programs. Concerns have also mounted amid federal Medicaid cuts.

Reimagining hospice in an AI world: In a digital age, how should technology & humanity coexist?HomeCare; by Michelle Cone; 6/3/25Technology is transforming home-based care, but not at the expense of the human touch. As the industry embraces tools like telehealth, remote monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered care planning, the goal isn’t to replace caregivers but to support them. These innovations boost efficiency and communication, but the heart of hospice—real connection, empathy and human presence—still drives care during what is often a deeply emotional time for families.

Natural disasters, climate change, and the impact on hospice and palliative care teams and their patients American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Quarterly; by Larry Beresford; Summer 2025 Edition, 7/3/25 Several recent natural disasters, including highly destructive wildfires in Los Angeles and Maui and flooding in the North Carolina hills caused by rains from Hurricane Helene, have provided vivid reminders that disasters can happen anywhere, anytime. Hospice and palliative care providers, responsible for the care of patients with serious illnesses who live in their homes and in long-term care facilities, could be dealing with disruptions in power or phone service, other communication barriers, staffing shortages, impassible roads, even large-scale evacuations of their patients. ... Are agencies doing what they can to plan, prepare, and practice for managing disasters, which could also include human-caused crises or events like earthquakes that are not subject to weather or climate?

Medicaid provisions threaten home and community-based services for millions of vulnerable Americans National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 7/3/25The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued the following statement today in response to the House’s passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” also known as the Reconciliation bill, which now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. “The Alliance is deeply troubled by the Medicaid provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which has passed both chambers of Congress and now awaits President Trump’s signature,” said Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers. “These provisions—including work requirements, reduced provider taxes, and new cost-sharing mandates—prioritize short-sighted budget savings over the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens who rely on home and community-based services (HCBS).” The home care community advocated throughout the legislative process for Congress to mitigate these harmful Medicaid provisions.

Alliance Statement on House passage of Reconciliation Bill: Medicaid provisions threaten home and community-based services for millions of vulnerable Americans National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandira, VA and Washington DC; Press Release; 7/3/25 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued the following statement today in response to the House’s passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” also known as the Reconciliation bill, which now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature. “The Alliance is deeply troubled by the Medicaid provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which has passed both chambers of Congress and now awaits President Trump’s signature,” said Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers. “These provisions—including work requirements, reduced provider taxes, and new cost-sharing mandates—prioritize short-sighted budget savings over the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens who rely on home and community-based services (HCBS).”

HOPE Tool Anxiety, Part II: From planning to practice Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Melissa Calkins; 6/30/25The countdown has begun. With October 1 on the horizon, hospice teams across the country are deep into training and testing—but preparation alone won’t guarantee success. The shift to HOPE isn’t just operational; it’s cultural. And real readiness goes far beyond timelines and task completion. It demands that every clinician, across every shift and care setting, understands what’s changing and feels confident in how to respond. This is the critical moment when planning must translate into practice—because once HOPE is live, the margin for error disappears.

Providence hospice workers to hold 1st strike Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch; 6/30/25 Providence workers are set to begin a two-day strike July 2 at Hospice of Petaluma (Calif.) and Memorial Hospice in Santa Rosa, Calif. The action marks their first-ever strike and comes amid ongoing contract negotiations. The strike involves more than 100 nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains and other hospice workers, according to their union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Union-represented hospice workers have been negotiating their first contract with Renton, Wash.-based Providence since 2023, when they unionized, according to NUHW. They contend that Providence has not adequately bargained — a concern compounded by the system’s planned transition of home-based care services to Compassus through a joint venture. 

National Health Care Fraud Takedown results in 324 defendants charged in connection with over $14.6 billion in alleged fraud: Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in history, more than doubles prior record of $6 billion Office of Public Affairs - U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC; 6/30/25 The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.Editor's Note: For cases specific to hospice and palliative care, (1) go to our homepage, (2) ;ogin to your newsletter account, (3) use the search engine at the top of our page, using the key word "fraud". We have posted  204 articles about hospice fraud, since we began this format on 1/1/2024. Ongoing, use this search engine as your first "Go To" resource for targeted, timely information.