Literature Review

Driving innovation: Healthsperien launches Center for Health Research, Policy & Strategy led by seasoned experts  PR Newswire, Washginton, DC; by Healthsperien; 9/23/25 Healthsperien announces the official launch of its Center for Health Research, Policy & Strategy, marking the third in a series of new Centers of Expertise designed to provide clients with specialized, high-quality services and reinforce Healthsperien as a comprehensive partner and integrated hub for health policy, government relations, and research strategies. ... The Center will be led by Dianne Munevar, Partner, who joins Healthsperien after serving as Vice President of Health Care Strategy at NORC at the University of Chicago. She will lead a seasoned team of 5 research, policy, and strategy experts, who also come from NORC at the University of Chicago, ...

UnitedHealth Group in the headlines: 10 updates Becker's Payer Issues; by Andrew Cass; 9/19/25 From a judge denying a bid to limit discovery in an AI denial case to boosting lobbying efforts, here are 10 headlines about UnitedHealth Group and its subsidiaries that Becker’s has reported on since Sept. 5: ...

Over 240 advocates rally in DC for the future of care at home: National Alliance for Care at Home hosts Inaugural Advocacy Week on Capitol Hill National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 9/12/25 More than 240 care at home care advocates from across the country met with over 275 congressional offices this week to discuss key legislative and regulatory priorities for expanding access to home-based care services. The meetings were part of the 2025 National Alliance for Care at Home’s inaugural Advocacy Week. Alliance Advocacy Week brings together leaders, advocates, and supporters to unite as one voice for care at home, driving positive legislative change and shaping the future of care to ensure broader access to the life-changing home care services for all Americans. 

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

IL law calls for annual report on prison hospice, palliative care WAND News, Springfield, IL; by Mike Miletich; 8/15/25 Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday to require the Illinois Department of Corrections report data on hospice care available for prisoners. More than 1,000 Illinois prisoners are 65 or older, and a growing number of those people are in need of end-of-life care and support services. The Department of Corrections does not have a formal hospice program, as end-of-life care is provided on a prison by prison basis. 

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.