Literature Review

Legacy even in defeat? Nursing home experts anxious about next moves on staffing efforts McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 4/21/25 Two weeks after a judge struck down federal staffing standards for all US nursing homes, questions about the rule’s future continue to swirl within the industry. Will the government appeal the District Court’s ruling in Texas and continue to fight for regulations that would force nursing homes to create more than 100,000 new jobs in coming years? How will a judge hearing a similar challenge in Iowa interpret similar arguments, and what happens if the rulings conflict with one another? ... Regardless of whether the rule goes away, industry insiders have one clear expectation: Its legacy will continue to chafe nursing home leaders, who will still face intense pressure to recruit quality staff and improve patient care.

What's at stake if CDC's Infection Control Practices Committee is cut MedPage Today; by Alexander Sundermann, DrPH; 4/17/25 Whether you are placing a central line, managing a Clostridioides difficile case, or keeping a surgical field sterile, you're likely following standards influenced by the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). While it may not be widely known outside of infection prevention circles, HICPAC plays a central role in shaping the evidence-based guidelines that frontline clinicians use every day to protect both patients and healthcare workers. ... Frontline clinicians ... rely on HICPAC guidance every day. Its recommendations shape the protocols used to prevent device-related infections, respond to emerging outbreaks, and meet regulatory and accreditation requirements. ...Eliminating HICPAC wouldn't just slow progress -- it would erode the foundation of infection prevention in U.S. healthcare.

Attorneys general challenge Trump’s deportations, citing impact on home health workforce McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/16/25 Nineteen state attorneys general filed an amicus brief Monday challenging President Donald Trump’s deportation policies. Among their arguments, they contended that deportations would have an outsized, negative impact on the home health industry’s ability to deliver care. “From a public health perspective, [states] depend on noncitizen healthcare workers who, like other immigrants, are forced to live in a climate of fear — nationwide over 1 million immigrants work in healt hcare, including 40% of home health aides and 18% of nursing home staff,” the brief said. The brief aims to block the administration’s so-called “ideological deportation policy,” established by executive orders 14161 and 14188. These orders intimidate workers, impair healthcare delivery and harm states’ economies, the attorneys general argued. 

8 health system CEOs on the turbulence defining 2025 Becker's Hospital Review; by Kelly Gooch and Kristin Kuchno; 4/16/25 From capacity constraints to reimbursement pressures, health system CEOs are navigating a changing healthcare landscape. One of the top concerns in 2025 is the potential for Medicaid funding cuts. A recent report estimates hospitals could face a $31.9 billion loss in revenue if federal proposals to scale back Medicaid expansion move forward. CEOs from across the country — including safety-net systems, academic medical centers and expanding regional providers — recently shared how they are preparing for continued uncertainty and what strategies they are prioritizing in response.

CMS to withdraw federal Medicaid match for workforce, social needs, and infrastructure: What states, health care providers and community organizations need to know The National Law Review; by Margia Corner, Adam Herbst of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP; 4/16/25 In a move signaling a major shift in federal priorities, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) recently announced it will limit federal funding for state Medicaid initiatives that support services beyond direct medical care. ... On April 10, CMS notified states that it will no longer approve new, or renew existing, state proposals for Section 1115(a) Demonstration Project expenditure authority to provide federal matching funds for state expenditures for designated state health programs (“DSHP”) and designated state investment programs (“DSIP”). 

Attorney General Platkin co-leads multistate effort to protect Affordable Care Act from attack State of New Jersey - Department of Law & Public Safety, Trenton, NJ; Press Release by the Office of the Attorney General, Matthew J. Platkin; 4/14/25  Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, along with the Attorneys General of California and Massachusetts, co-led a multistate letter regarding a raft of proposed changes that would undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), making it more difficult and expensive for individuals to enroll in health coverage on federal and state exchanges. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would make a number of regulatory changes impacting access to insurance via the ACA. If allowed to take effect, the proposed changes would reduce access to ACA exchanges and risk causing between 750,000 and two million Americans to lose health insurance coverage in 2026. That would impose harms on States and their residents, both insured and uninsured, as when more individuals are forced to go without insurance, costs are driven up for everyone.

Closing the gap in end-of life care coverage: The role of nonprofits in policy advocacy Forbes; by James Dismond; 4/14/25... As the demand for end-of-life care grows, so will the gap between the care that patients need and what they receive. ... Workforce shortages, restrictive regulations, outdated reimbursement models and misconceptions around hospice services are keeping millions of Americans from accessing quality hospice and palliative care services. ... These barriers disproportionately affect low-income families, rural communities and communities of color. ... Unlike for-profit entities, we can prioritize community needs over shareholders. We can prioritize patient well-being over profits—or, to say it more directly, we put people over profits. And I’ve seen firsthand how advocacy can drive progress. Nonprofits must engage in:

Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities The New York Times; by Paula Span; 4/7/25 Roughly 20 states now have laws permitting families to place cameras in the rooms of loved ones. Facility operators are often opposed. ... The assisted-living facility in Edina, Minn., where Jean H. Peters and her siblings moved their mother in 2011, looked lovely. “But then you start uncovering things,” Ms. Peters said. Her mother, Jackie Hourigan, widowed and developing memory problems at 82, too often was still in bed when her children came to see her in mid-morning. So Ms. Peters bought an inexpensive camera at Best Buy. She and her sisters installed it atop the refrigerator in her mother’s apartment, ... Monitoring from an app on their phones, the family saw Ms. Hourigan going hours without being changed. They saw and heard an aide loudly berating her and handling her roughly as she helped her dress. ... Though they remain a contentious subject, cameras in care facilities are gaining ground. By 2020, eight states had joined Minnesota in enacting laws allowing them, according to the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care: Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. [Continue reading ...]

Medicare and Medicaid officials finalize rule to clarify that medical marijuana isn’t covered by federal health programsMarijuana Moment; by Kyle Jaeger; 4/8/25 The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a rule to clarify that marijuana products are not eligible for coverage under certain health plans for chronically ill patients because “they are illegal substances under Federal law.” In a notice set to be published in the Federal Register next week, CMS said that a series of policy and technical changes for its Medicare Advantage (MA) program and other services, including rulemaking related to cannabis products, will now take effect on June 3.[Continue reading ...]

Trump administration continues to defend nursing home staffing mandate in court McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas; 4/7/25 The federal government continues to defend a national nursing home staffing mandate in court, despite several members of the new presidential administration having expressed major concerns about the rule finalized in 2024. Department of Justice attorneys on Thursday again outlined their justification for the rule, telling the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services did not exceed its legal authority in dictating 24-hour registered nurse coverage and 3.48 hours a day of direct patient care from every US skilled nursing facility. 

Terri Schiavo's death 20 years ago sparked lingering debate about death and politics USA Today; by Marc Ramirez; 3/31/25 Monday [March 31st marked] 20 years since the death of Terri Schiavo, whose landmark case became the symbol of the "right to die" movement, generated political controversy and sparked public outcry as her husband and family members took their fight over her fate to the courts. Schiavo died on March 31, 2005, after a dragged-out legal and political battle ... The case thrust discussions about end-of-life care into the public consciousness, a topic that continues to provoke heightened emotions among Americans. “It became the most reviewed, debated end-of-life case in history,” said Arthur Caplan, who heads the division of medical ethics at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. [Continue reading ...]

New administration’s appointees confirmed to lead key health agencies Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO); Press Release; 4/3/25 Several presidential appointees have been confirmed to lead key health agencies that the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will work with during the new administration. These include:

Dr. Oz nomination to lead CMS advances in Senate vote    Modern Healthcare; by Michael McAuliff; 4/3/25 The Senate on Thursday advanced the confirmation of former television host Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the nation's largest healthcare agencies by serving as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Lawmakers voted 50 to 45 to advance the nomination to a final vote, which is expected Thursday afternoon.  ... He will assume control of an agency in flux that impacts some 160 million Americans and with a budget of around $1.7 trillion. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is attempting to cut some 20,000 employees across the the Health and Human Services Department while Congress is weighing budget proposals that are likely to require deep cuts in Medicaid. [Continue reading ...]