Literature Review

CMS launches landmark $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program CMS Newsroom - Rural Health; Press Release; 9/15/25 Today [9/15], the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled details on how states can apply to receive funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to strengthen health care across rural America. This unprecedented investment is designed to empower states to transform the existing rural health care infrastructure and build sustainable health care systems that expand access, enhance quality of care, and improve outcomes for patients. ... The Rural Health Transformation Program invites all 50 states to apply for funding to address each state’s specific rural health challenges. 

Fulfilling end-of-life dreams: A scoping review of bucket lists in palliative and hospice care Palliative Supportive Care - Cambridge University Press; by Swasati Handique, Michael Bennett and Scott D Ryan; 9/12/25 Results: Four major themes were established using thematic content analysis: (1) impact on holistic well-being, (2) role of family in wish fulfillment, (3) cultivation of gratitude, and (4) collaborative leadership in wish fulfillment. In wish fulfillment, the results significantly pointed to the need for more intricate evaluation among patients and interventions that cover beyond the physical aspect. Significance of results: Palliative and hospice care settings should work toward securing sustainable funding for structured wish-fulfillment programs to address existing accessibility gaps and further enhance the holistic nature of care in these settings. Editor's Note: For hospice organizations that can receive donations, setting up a Wish/Bucket LIst fund makes for a meaningful, easy-to-demonstrate ROI on donated gifts. You need to have some type of discretionary review/approval process in place, with assurances of confidentiality when important to the person and/or family.

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. 

CMS: Annual Change in Medicaid Hospice Payment Rates—ACTIONCMS, Department of Health and Human Services; email from Rory Howe, director; 9/5/25The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Medicaid hospice rates for FY 2026. They are slightly different than the Medicare rates and should be used when billing for Medicaid hospice patients. This memorandum contains the Medicaid hospice payment rates for federal fiscal year (FY) 2026. The rates reflect changes made under the final Medicare hospice rule published on August 1, 2025 (CMS-1835-F). Please inform your staff and all state agencies in your jurisdiction of these new payment rates, which are effective October 1, 2025. We expect state agencies to share the Medicaid hospice payment rates for FY 2026 with the hospice providers in their state.

Navigating the Wage Index: Insights from industry experts Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Annette Kiser and Judi Lund Person; 8/20/25 The healthcare landscape is transforming before our eyes, shifting away from hospital-centered care toward home-based models.  This fundamental change raises urgent questions about Medicare's outdated reimbursement systems, particularly for Hospice providers facing a mere 2.6% rate increase while battling significant inflation. Join us in this illuminating conversation and in-depth discussion with industry experts Annette Kiser, Chief Compliance Officer with Teleios, and Judi Lund Person, Principal, Lund Person & Associates LLC, as they sit down with Chris and explore the complexities of the final 2026 Hospice Wage Index and its impact on Hospice organizations.

Aveanna beefs up advocacy efforts, leans into preferred payer strategy Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 8/15/25 Amid an uncertain reimbursement environment and sea of recent policy updates, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: AVAH) remains focused on the strategies that have been helping the company achieve success. ... This means ramping up the company’s efforts around advocacy, as well as actively working with various state Medicaid programs. Home Health Care News caught up with Jim Melancon at last month’s National Alliance for Care at Home Financial Summit to learn more. Melancon serves as senior vice president of government affairs at Aveanna. ... The company has 327 locations across 34 states.

Insurance companies’ Medicare pullback is here: Insurers are planning to scale back benefits, trim plans and exit from markets. Investors are cheering The Wall Street Journal; by David Wainer; 8/5/25 Many seniors enjoy the perks that come with Medicare Advantage. But those extras—like dental coverage and free gym memberships—are being scaled back. Insurers are cutting benefits and exiting from unprofitable markets, and Wall Street is cheering them on. Once rewarded by investors for rapid expansion in the lucrative privatized Medicare program, companies are now being applauded for showing restraint amid rising medical costs and lower government payments.

Breaking News: Various posts about the CMS FY26 Wage Index Final RuleCompiled by Hospice & Palliative Care Today; Joy Berger; 8/2/25Finally. The financial Final Rule arrived. What do you need to know and do? How are hospice leaders responding? We've compiled these for you to go directly to various sources to find what you need.

Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements - FINAL RULECenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); released 8/1/25, 4:15pm

By the Bay Health CEO on stretching home health dollar, surviving proposed rate cuts Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/25/25 ... By the Bay Health CEO Skelly Wingard aims to improve the quality and accessibility of the company’s home health care line by enhancing the company’s clinical informatics and collaborating across service lines and managed care. These initiatives emerge amid regulatory uncertainty, as proposed Medicare home health rate cuts have raised alarms across the industry. Wingard warned that such cuts could force many providers out of business.By the Bay Health is an affiliate of the University of California San Francisco Health. The organization’s service lines include hospice, palliative, pediatric and skilled home health care. The company serves the entire Bay Area.

51 health systems with strong finances Becker's Hospital Review; by Andrew Cass; 7/21/25 Here are 51 health systems with strong operational metrics and solid financial positions, according to reports from credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service released in 2025. This is not an exhaustive list. Health systems were compiled from credit rating reports [and are listed alphabetically.]

CIOs’ tech wishlist: What IT leaders would buy with a blank check Becker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 7/14/25 If hospital and health system CIOs had unlimited resources, where would they place their biggest technology bets? Becker’s asked several IT leaders: If you had a blank check to invest in one technology tomorrow, what would it be and why? [Only a few responses are listed here. Go to the source article for the IT leaders' name, organization, role, and answer.]

Hospice of the Piedmont CEO: Doubling down on community-based support Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/16/25 Virginia-based Hospice of the Piedmont is sharpening its focus on home-based care services and unfurling several initiatives in this realm. The future of end-of-life care delivery has increasingly shifted into the home, according to Nancy Littlefield, president and CEO at Hospice of the Piedmont. While demand for facility-based hospice care is also rising, sustaining these services has become increasingly difficult, she indicated. Several hospices have shuttered their facility-based programs in recent years, with many citing financial headwinds as a leading reason fueling inpatient center closures. Financial strains were among the challenges that led to the difficult decision to close Hospice of the Piedmont’s Center for Acute Hospice Care, Littlefield said. ... Hospice News recently sat down with Littlefield to learn more about how hospices are sustaining and growing their services in today’s economic and financial climate.