Literature Review

Home health groups press for a piece of rural health funding Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 9/2/25 Key Takeaways

Texas expands medical marijuana access under new law KFOX-14/CBS-4, El Paso, TX; by Harrison Parker; 9/1/25, updated 9/2/25 A new law expanding Texas's Compassionate Use Program took effect today [9/1/25], allowing more residents to access medical marijuana. The expansion, under House Bill 46, now includes individuals with chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, Crohn's disease, and those in hospice care.

Letter to the Editor: Hospice needs the state’s support Mid Hudson News, Hudson Valley / Catskill Region, NY; by Mid-Hudson News Staff; 8/19/25 Dear Editor: Hospice care can greatly enhance life for patients and families during an incredibly difficult time, but it is, unfortunately, underfunded and underutilized in New York State. As the leader of a hospice program serving Rockland and Orange Counties for 38 years, I have seen firsthand the undeniable, positive impact hospice can have.  ... Understandably, New Yorkers struggle to understand the benefits of hospice because hospice providers themselves have faced decades of underfunding and limited government support. ... The consequences of this cannot be understated. ... Cara Pace, Chief Executive Officer of United Hospice

With time running out, advocates mount push for telehealth, hospital-at-home extensions McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 8/15/25 With the Sept. 30 expiration date approaching for telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, industry advocates are urging lawmakers to pass a two-year extension. “We have only 48 days to avert a telehealth shutdown on October 1, and we’re relying on continued bipartisan, bicameral support to win the day,” Kyle Zebley, executive director of American Telemedicine Association Action and senior vice president of public policy for the ATA, said Thursday [8/14] in a statement.

350 health groups urge Congress to extend Medicare telehealth MedCityNews; by Marissa Plescia; 8/14/25 A group of 350 organizations, including the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, are urging Congress to make Medicare telehealth flexibilities introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic permanent, or at least extend them for two years. In a letter to congressional leaders, the organizations emphasize the importance of telehealth for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly those with chronic conditions or in rural areas, and highlight the potential impact on health care access and infrastructure. Guest Editor’s Note, Judi Lund Person: Unless there is Congressional action after the August recess to extend the hospice face-to-face requirement through telehealth, that option will conclude on September 30, 2025.

Bipartisan bill offers ‘meaningful’ immigration reform that could help address senior living workforce needs, leaders say McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/1/25 A bipartisan immigration reform bill proposing a pathway to legal resident status for certain undocumented immigrants — including direct care workers — is earning the support of the senior living and care industry. The recently re-introduced Dignity Act of 2025 “offers the solution to our immigration crisis: secure the border, stop illegal immigration and provide an earned opportunity for long-term immigrants to stay here and work,” sponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) had said in introducing the bill. [Its co-sponsor is] Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX).

National Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers: Hospice reform should mean more care, not less Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/28/25 Hospice reform efforts should focus on allowing for “more care, not less,” according to National Alliance for Care at Home CEO Dr. Steve Landers. Key elements of this should include home-based respite care and a payment system for high-acuity palliative services that hospice patients often lose out on due to the costs. ... “It means innovation in care, home-based respite services, better payment models for people that need things like dialysis or palliative radiation,” Landers said at the Alliance’s Financial Summit in Chicago. “That is that reform we’re talking about.” ... Landers also said that attempts at hospice reform should not “carve-in” hospice into Medicare Advantage. Bringing hospice under Medicare Advantage would undermine patient choice, adversely impact timely access to care and leave providers with lower reimbursement rates, according to the Alliance, the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and LeadingAge

Post-acute care faces labor shortage amid immigration scrutiny Modern Healthcare, Post-Acute Care; by Diane Eastabrook; 7/23/25 Nursing homes and home care operators are scrambling to find replacements for foreign-born workers no longer eligible to work in the U.S. due to changes in immigration policy. Providers in Boston, Atlanta and other cities with large populations of immigrants, and Haitians in particular, say the loss of foreign-born workers in an already tight job market is making it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand for care — and will likely drive up care costs. Last month the Homeland Security Department began notifying more than 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans that it terminated a Biden-era program that allowed them to live and work in the U.S. It said those who have not attained legal status to remain in the U.S. outside of the program must leave immediately. Despite court challenges, the federal government also aims to end another program in early September that grants temporary protected status to Haitians and Venezuelans who have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade. [Full access might require subscription.]

Carter, Bera introduce bill to strengthen palliative and hospice care workforce United States Representative Buddy Carter, Washington, DC; Press Release; 7/17/25Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA) today introduced the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA), bipartisan legislation to invest in training, education, and research for the palliative care and hospice workforce, allowing more practitioners to enter these in-demand fields. ... "As a pharmacist, I understand the toll burnout takes on the health care industry, and I am committed to bolstering the workforce so nurses, doctors, and all health care workers can continue to pursue their passion for helping others,” said Rep. Carter. "As a doctor, I know how important it is to provide patients with comfort, clarity, and support when they’re facing serious illness,” said Rep. Bera. “The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act is a smart, bipartisan step to ensure more health care professionals are trained to deliver this kind of care."Editor's Note: Bravo to this pharmacist and physician bipartisan team for introducing this bill. Go to the article and scroll down to this press release's long list of "Supporting Organizations."

Tracking the Medicare Provisions in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill | KFF KFF; updated 7/8/25 Similar to the chart for Medicaid provisions in the 2025 Reconciliation Bill, KFF also provides details on the changes for Medicare. Topics include eligibility policies, physician payment, prescription drugs, rules for Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), nursing homes – including the prohibition of implementation, administration, or enforcement of the minimum staffing levels requirement until October 1, 2034, and funding for HHS to “contract with AI contractors and data scientists to identify and reduce Medicare improper payments and recoup overpayments.Guest Editor’s Note, Judi Lund Person: The chart of Medicare provisions confirms that implementation of the Medicare eligibility and enrollment final rule will be delayed until October 1, 2034, except for those provisions that have already taken effect. The Senate version enacted into law also has a temporary one-year increase of 2.5% in the Physician Fee Schedule conversion factor for all services furnished between January 1, 2026 and January 1, 2027 and a delay of the nursing home staffing final rule until October 1, 2034. It is helpful to have the chart in a usable form for reference on the final bill enacted into law.

KFF publishes summaries of Health Provisions in the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation BillKFF; updated 7/8/25 On July 3, the House passed the same version of the budget reconciliation bill passed by the Senate on July 1. On July 4, President Trump signed the legislation into law . KFF published this summary to describe the health care provisions in the law (described as the Senate-passed bill) in four categories: Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). It also compares the provisions to a earlier draft of the bill passed by the House on May 22. Guest Editor’s Note, Judi Lund Person:  KFF was formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation but since KFF is not a foundation and has no connection to Kaiser Permanente, they are now called simply KFF. They state “As a one-of-a-kind information organization, we bring together substantial capabilities in policy research, polling, and journalism in one organization to meet the need for a trusted, independent source of information on national health issues—one with the scope and reach to be a counterweight to health care’s vested interests and a voice for people.”

VA announces expanded burial benefits for those under VA-provided hospice care Tri-State Alert; by Staff Report; 7/11/25 The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it has temporarily expanded burial benefits for certain Veterans, per the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. The new law specifies eligible Veterans are those who are discharged from VA-provided medical or nursing care to receive VA-provided hospice care at their home and who pass away between July 1, 2025, and Oct. 1, 2026. Previously, Veterans who died at home under VA hospice care after discharge from VA-provided medical or nursing care were not always eligible for a full VA burial allowance. The Dole Act addresses that gap.

Health economic analysis of an all-virtual, at-home acute care modelJAMA Network Open; Brad Spellberg, MD; Christopher Lynch, MD; Hal F. Yee, MD, PhD; Josh Banerjee, MD; 6/25Hospital-at-home care models send staff, durable medical equipment (DME), and therapeutics (eg, intravenous infusions) to patients’ homes to provide care. In the US, Medicare requires in-person evaluations at least twice daily to receive payment for hospital-at-home services. In the UK National Health Service, virtual wards at home are increasingly being used in lieu of inpatient care. This economic evaluation of ... patients receiving all-virtual, at-home acute care ... found that the virtual program was cost-saving (due to avoided variable hospital costs) only for unfunded patients or patients with Medicaid, but was cost-losing for Medicare and commercially insured patients due to substantial lost inpatient revenue. These findings suggest that current payer rates for inpatient care financially disincentivize development and implementation of novel acute, at-home care models, but a simple reimbursement schema could enable net savings to both hospitals and payers.