Literature Review

Mass AI job replacement? Not in healthcare, CIOs say Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 3/18/26 While some doomsayers predict that AI will replace human workers en masse, health system CIOs told Becker’s that healthcare, so reliant on the human touch, is safe. But that doesn’t mean duties won’t change dramatically. In late February, an investment analyst scenario outlining economic cataclysm caused by AI momentarily jolted the stock market. The authors, from Citrini Research, imagined white-collar job openings “collapsing” in late 2026, with blue-collar hiring staying “relatively stable.” While healthcare may be best described as “gray-collar,” the sector is still the nation’s largest employer, driving much of the country’s job growth over the past few decades. Could AI change that equation? ...

Medicare Advantage ‘working’ for seniors, but not for taxpayers, experts say: Penn LDI panel cites costs for enrollees alongside billions in overpayments and systemic gaming Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 3/23/26 In response to the question “Is Medicare Advantage Working?” posed in a University of Pennsylvania panel discussion, two top experts concurred that the program is “working” in one narrow but powerful sense: It delivers more appealing coverage to many seniors, especially those with modest incomes. But it is not “working” in the sense originally promised by policymakers, because it is not saving public money and has encouraged a range of payment distortions, coding games, marketing excesses, and utilization-management conflicts.

Medicare plan switching and hospice care among decedents with advanced cancer JAMA Network Open; by Xin Hu, Changchuan Jiang, Youngmin Kwon, Fangli Geng, Qinjin Fan, Kewei Sylvia Shi, Zhiyuan Zheng, Jingxuan Zhao, Joan L Warren, K Robin Yabroff, Xuesong Han; 3/2/16Importance: Hospice ... is an excluded benefit under Medicare Advantage (MA), with coverage instead provided by traditional Medicare (TM). With growing MA penetration, more beneficiaries also switch between MA and TM for financial protection and physician access considerations, although less is known about how different Medicare programs and plan switching behaviors affect EOL care for patients with advanced cancers.Conclusions and relevance: In this cohort study of Medicare decedents with advanced cancers, continuous MA enrollees were most likely to receive hospice at home, while those who switched from MA to TM more frequently received hospice care in nursing homes. Plan switching near the EOL may reflect access barriers, highlighting the importance of addressing care coordination to improve EOL care.

AMGA calls for total-cost-of-care model for end-of-life care Healthcare Innovation; by David Raths; 3/20/26 Among the recommendations of a value-based care task force of the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) is that CMS should establish a total-cost-of-care model for end-of-life care. AMGA  is a trade association representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in its member organizations. Editor's Note: Download the AMGA's 44-page Task Force Recommendations. It details these six foundational pillars they identified:

HCA’s CEO-to-worker pay ratio widens in 2025  Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 3/16/26 Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen was paid 420 times more than the health system’s median employee in 2025, according to a March 13 proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Hazen’s total compensation was $26,456,606 in 2025. The total compensation of HCA’s median compensated employee was $62,955. The ratio of these amounts was 420:1. 

Why post-merger integration matters The Bloom Organization; 3/9/26 Most healthcare practice owners spend their time thinking about the front end of a transaction: valuation, deal structure, buyer selection, and closing. But for practice owners who will remain involved in their business after closing, whether through an employment agreement, earnout, or rollover equity, what happens after the deal closes can be just as important as the terms on the letter of intent. Post-merger integration determines whether the transition is smooth or disruptive, whether earnout targets are achievable, and whether the day-to-day experience of running your practice improves or deteriorates under new ownership.Editor's Note: Pair this with "What Actually Happens to Your Healthcare Workers After Acquisition?," which we posted on 12/22/25 and 12/28/25 (our Sunday's "Most Read" edition). It states that "47% of employees leave within the first year following an acquisition, climbing to 75% by year three."

Hospice News 50: Hospice News Provider Rankings and Annual Trends Report Hospice News; 3/10/26 Second Annual Hospice News Provider Rankings and Trends Report The hospice sector continues to evolve rapidly, driven by shifting ownership structures, demographic demand and new approaches to caring for seriously ill populations. For the second annual Hospice News 50 report, we partnered with Hospice Analytics to rank the largest hospice chains by 2024 Medicare claims. Drawing on proprietary data — including Medicare payments, corporate disclosures, acquisition activity and SEC filings — the report provides a detailed view of how consolidation, investment patterns and emerging players are reshaping the industry. Explore the latest data and analysis to understand the market forces driving hospice transformation — and what they mean for providers in 2026 and beyond.

Our hospice system subverts the very point of hospice care The New York Times; Opinion | Guest Essay by Sandeep Jauhar; 3/2/26 When my siblings and I decided to put our father in hospice care at his home in the spring of 2021, his Alzheimer’s was near end-stage. He could barely get out of bed or dress or feed himself. Hospice care seemed to be the best way for him to end his life with dignity. ... We soon encountered a harsh reality, however. Dying at home isn’t easy, even with hospice care. ... The main problem was funding. In 2024, the average per-patient Medicare payment to hospice agencies was about $200 a day, with an annual cap of $33,500. That outlay would barely pay for a part-time aide, yet it is also needed to cover medications, medical equipment and nurse visits.

Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske: Hospices facing ‘huge pendulum shift' Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/27/26 The hospice space has seen waves of regulatory changes in recent years that are affecting sustainable access, according to Meg Pekarske, partner at the law firm Husch Blackwell. Ensuring program integrity and quality will take an overhaul of hospice regulation. Pekarske, a hospice and health care attorney, is retiring with more than 25 years of legal experience, effective March 31. She recently sat down with Hospice News to reflect on the most significant regulatory changes impacting the future scope of hospice care delivery. Greater consideration is needed around a potential revamp of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, Pekarske said.

Why Alivia Care is getting invested in ACO models Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/19/26 The senior care provider Alivia Care is going all in on high-needs Accountable Care Organization models in 2026. This includes participation in the final year of the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health (ACO REACH) model that the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is currently testing. Following that, the hospice, home health, PACE and palliative care provider plans to engage in the center’s new Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) model. ... [Descriptions by Alivia Care CEO Susan Ponder Stansel ...]

Hospice spending, care quality scores by state Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 2/18/26 California and Nevada hospice providers had the lowest care-quality scores despite spending the most per beneficiary to provide care between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024, according to CMS data released Feb. 18. Rhode Island and West Virginia had the highest hospice care quality scores during the data collection period. CMS’ Hospice Quality Reporting Program includes data submitted directly by hospice providers, from Medicare hospice claims, and from the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Here are the hospice care quality scores and per-beneficiary spending amounts by state between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024, according to CMS: ...

Trinity Health announces suspension of hospice services KFYR TV / KMOT TV, Minot, ND; by Kyona Rivera; 2/12/26 Trinity Health in Minot announced Thursday that its Home Health and Outpatient Hospice services are suspended. A statement provided to Your News Leader from Trinity Health indicates the provider is looking at other ways to transition these services. The decision came after careful consideration and a thorough review of current operations, according to the statement. Trinity said the timeline for the change will be announced when plans are finalized. 

Labor & employment lawyers, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, file suit against Sutter Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, for underpayment of employees' wages Benzinga, Sacramento, CA; by PRNewswire; 2/12/26 The Sacramento employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Sutter Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice violated the California Labor Code. The Sutter Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice, a class action lawsuit, Case No. 25CV029700, is currently pending in the Sacramento County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.