Literature Review

Mississippi House approves bill to allow medical marijuana use in hospitals for terminally ill patients Marijuana Moment; by Kyle Jaeger; 2/5/26 The Mississippi House of Representatives has approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana in hospitals, nursing facilities and hospice centers. About a week after advancing out of the House Public Health and Human Services Committee, the full chamber passed the legislation from Rep. Kevin Felsher (R) in a 117-1 vote on Wednesday. Known as “Ryan’s Law,” an acknowledgement of a young cannabis patient who passed and whose father has since become an advocate for access in hospital settings, the bill is meant to “support the ability of terminally ill qualifying patients to safely use medical cannabis within specified health care facilities.” 

Congress passes spending bill, extends telehealth flexibilities American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC); by Renee Dustman; 2/4/26 ... Congress has extended the expiration dates for certain telehealth flexibilities from Jan. 30, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2027 (unless otherwise stated), as follows: ...

O&I Subcommittee holds hearing on ongoing fraud in Medicare and Medicaid programs Energy & Commerce - Chairman Brett Guthrie, Washington, DC; Press Release; 2/3/26 Today [2/3], Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led a hearing titled Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. ... Watch the full hearing here. [Key excerpts:] ... Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01): “Auditors found 112 hospice providers operating out of a single physical address. 112...holy cow. As a result, hospice agencies in LA County alone likely overbilled Medicare by $105 million in just one year. […] It looks like it’s a problem in a lot of different places. 

Protecting patients at the end of life: Why CON still matters / part one, with Tim Rogers and Paul A. Ledford Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast/video hosted by Chris Comeaux with Time Rogers and Paul A. Ledford; 1/28/26 Certificate of Need (CON) laws remain one of the most debated—and misunderstood—regulatory frameworks in healthcare.  In this in-depth conversation, Chris Comeaux is joined by two of the nation’s most respected Hospice association leaders: Paul A. Ledford, President & CEO of the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association, and Tim Rogers, President & CEO of the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina.

How does palliative care work under Rhode Island Workers’ Compensation Law? WorkersCompensation.com; 1/25/26 What does it take for an injured worker in Rhode Island to receive palliative care? State regulations spell out the steps ... "Palliative care" means the first 12 visits for medical services provided by a physician licensed by the State after maximum medical improvement has been attained. ... Additional palliative care beyond the 12 visits after the employee reaches maximum medical improvement, is conditioned on the authorization of the claim administrator (insurer, self-insured employer, third party administrator) upon the request of the employee’s treating physician (Medical Provider).

Gerald’s Law reintroduced in Congress to permanently protect veterans’ burial benefits National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/22/26 Representatives Bergman (R-MI) and Budzinski (D-IL) formally reintroduced Gerald’s Law as a standalone bill to permanently protect burial benefits for veterans who receive Veterans Affairs (VA) furnished hospice care outside of a VA facility. The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) applauds this bi-partisan effort to close a critical gap in benefits impacting seriously-ill veterans and their families. 

Proposed budget bill extends telehealth, hospital at home flexibilities again healthleaders; by Eric Wicklundh; 1/21/26 According to news reports Tuesday out of Washington DC, the bill, part of a package being prepared for a vote to fund government agencies and avoid a potential shutdown, would extend the telehealth flexibilities through 2027 and the AHCaH program through 2030. It would also boost this year's funding for community health centers to $6.4 billion and enable Medicare coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening tests.

New IL law requires annual report on prison hospice care WAND News, Springfield, IL; by Mike Miletich; 1/15/26 A new law requires Illinois to report data on hospice care available for prisoners. Supporters say the law will bring dignity, transparency and compassion to people dying within the state's correctional facilities. More than 1,000 prisoners are 65 or older, and a growing number of those people need end-of-life care and support services. The Illinois Department of Corrections does not have a formal hospice program, as end-of-life care is provided on a prison-by-prison basis. 

Solomon Center’s groundbreaking palliative care law and policy initiative drives nationwide reforms Yale Law School; Press Release; 1/15/26 The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School has established the country’s first comprehensive interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to palliative medical care, law, and policy — a pathbreaking effort that is already shaping reforms for patients of all ages. ... The work is supported by a first-of-its kind open-access research platform for palliative care policy across the states, developed by the Center, and in collaboration with partners at Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Nursing, and Mount Sinai’s nationally renowned Center to Advance Palliative Care.

Fourth temporary extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescription of controlled medications Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government; A Rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Health and Human Services Department on 12/31/2025 AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Temporary rule. SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a fourth extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2026. DATES: This rule is effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

New York Gov. Hochul vetos bill banning for-profit hospices Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/23/25 New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has vetoed legislation that would have effectively banned new for-profit hospices in the state. The New York State Assembly passed the bill earlier this month and submitted it to the governor’s office. It would have prohibited the establishment of for-profit hospices in New York state and forbid current for-profit operators from increasing capacity. Currently only two for-profit hospices operate in New York state. Hochul previously vetoed similar legislation in 2022, citing low hospice utilization in the Empire State.

The hard questions behind medically assisted suicide PJ Media; by David Manney; 12/13/25 Before we start, I need you to know that I'm not advocating for medically assisted suicide (MAS). I do believe that I grasp why some people, in rare and specific circumstances, view it as a deeply personal choice. That belief comes not from emotion, but from watching the hardest years of suffering and listening to families stare at a future without mercy. As more states pass laws, including Illinois, which recently became the twelfth state to legalize medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients with strict criteria, the debate has grown far beyond politics, and into the core of how we treat the most vulnerable among us. ...Editor's Note: In the enacted Illinois statute known as “Deb’s Law,” the formal statutory term is neither “medical aid in dying” nor “medically assisted suicide,” but “aid‑in‑dying medication,” within the “End‑of‑Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act.” 

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill CBS News, Chicago; by Sara Tenenbaum and Charlie De Mar; 12/12/25, 11:02 am CST Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents. Known as "Deb's Lawn," allows eligible terminally ill adults with a prognosis to live six months or less to request a prescription from their doctor that would allow them to die on their own terms. The legislation was narrowly approve by the Illinois Senate in October after the Illinois House passed it in May. People on both sides of the debate over the controversial legislation lobbied the governor up until the last minute. Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is already legal in 12 states. Eight more are considering similar legislation. Pritzker's signature makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to allow medically assisted death.