Literature Review

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: ...

[England] Almost one in three people in England die without the basic care they need Medical Xpress; by King's College London, edited by Lisa Lock; 2/16/26 About 170,000 people in England every year spend their final days in pain, distress or without vital support that should be available to everyone at the end of life. These are the findings of the first major study in more than a decade to estimate unmet palliative care needs among people at the end of life. The paper was led by researchers at King's College London and Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, with contributions from the University of Edinburgh and was published in the Journal of Health Services Research & Policy.

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.

The Parmenter Foundation expands compassionate care, bereavement community with 2026 grants Transcendental Meditation News Today, Wayland, MA; Press Release; 2/3/26 ... The Parmenter Foundation, based in Wayland, Mass., will provide $400,000 to nearly two dozen innovative and compassionate programs in four areas of support: children’s bereavement, caregiver support, family bereavement, and hospice care. “We are honored to provide funding to such deserving organizations in 2026,” said Executive Director Angela Crocker. ... Among this year’s grantees is long-term partner Good Shepherd Community Care’s Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence, ... and Empower Grieving Children, ... [Click here for the full list.]

Sanofi Collective - Foundation S stands behind transformative children's palliative care project in Kenya Global Treehouse Foundation; Press Release; 1/27/26 A significant grant from the Foundation S - the Sanofi Collective will enable a transformative three-year project delivering comprehensive grief and bereavement care to families affected by childhood cancer in Kenya. This is about more than funding: it’s about ensuring families are seen, supported and not left to navigate their most challenging moments alone. Foundation S’s investment is a significant milestone in integrating grief and social-emotional support into healthcare systems - an area too often overlooked, yet essential to the dignity and well-being of children and those who love them.

Rehab staff concerned by Enloe’s partnership with Lifepoint Chico Enterprise-Record, Chico, CA; Press Release; 1/24/26 In a move that is concerning some staff members, Enloe Health is partnering with private company Lifepoint Health to manage its rehabilitation center. ... This is the second time in roughly five months Enloe outsourced or transitioned services away from in-house management. In August 2025, Enloe ended its in-house Home Health and Hospice program, with hospice services now referred to Butte Home Health and Hospice. Enloe Health and Butte Home Health and Hospice are nonprofits, while Lifepoint is a for-profit company. 

Christmas tree recycling raises £100k for hospice BBC News; Press Release; 1/16/26 A hospice has raised more than £100,000 through its annual Christmas tree recycling scheme, declaring it the most successful year yet. St. Giles Hospice, Lichfield, said 5,425 real trees were collected from people's doorsteps between 10 and13 January as part of its TreeCycle service. Volunteers, hospice staff and local businesses braved the winter weather to pick up trees across Staffordshire, north Birmingham and surrounding areas, stated the charity. The Christmas trees, which lined up would measure nearly seven miles, were being turned into compost by a Lichfield company for agricultural purposes, it added.

US health expenditures rapidly accelerating Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/14/26 ... Rising health care utilization is the most significant driver of the spending increases, according to CMS. One key factor is that utilization is bouncing back from declines that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Micah Hartman, a statistician in the National Health Statistics Group with the Office of the Actuary at CMS. Population growth was also a factor. ... By payer type, private health insurance saw the largest rate of spending growth at 8.8%, followed by Medicare at 7.8% and Medicaid at 6.6%. Out-of-pocket spending rose by 5.9%. ... Hospice care saves Medicare roughly $3.5 billion for patients in their last year of life, according to a joint report from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and NORC at the University of Chicago.

CMS, hospice groups mull Wage Index reform Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 1/13/26 Some stakeholders in the hospice space are seeking reforms to the hospice wage index. ... CMS has given indications that it would mull changes to the hospice wage index. In 2025, the agency convened a technical expert panel to consider the issue. One point of discussion is the application of new data sources, including potential changes to hospice cost reports. ... One proposal discussed within the panel would be to revise the hospice cost report to collect accurate information about costs related to full-time employees, ... To implement a new wage index methodology, CMS would also have to go through a proposed rulemaking process, including public notice and a comment period. With any wage index changes, some hospices would “win” and others would “lose.” Some providers may see higher payments as a result, whereas others may see their rates go down. ...

[United Kingdom] One in five hospice beds closed, report warns in end of life care crisis Express - Health and Social Affairs; by Lucy Johnston; 1/10/26 Almost one in five hospice beds in England is now closed or standing empty, despite growing demand for end-of-life care, a study by Oxford University researchers has found. The analysis exposes a deepening funding crisis in the hospice sector - which its authors have described as “a national scandal.” ... [Oxford University professors describe that] ... increasing numbers of frail and elderly patients are dying “in pain, alone, often hungry and dehydrated,” while others are being admitted to hospital in emergency situations, adding pressure to already stretched NHS services.

Sue Ryder urges people to donate unwanted Christmas gifts to support hospice care RDG.Today, United Kingdom; by Staff Writer; 1/5/26 The charity Sue Ryder is encouraging people to donate unwanted Christmas presents to its local shops to help raise funds for palliative care and bereavement support. The national charity, which supports people facing terminal illness and grief, said items such as clothing, unused gadgets and home accessories could be given a second life by being donated rather than left unused at home. ... Sue Ryder has almost 400 shops across the UK, with money raised helping to fund palliative and end-of-life care in hospices and in people’s homes, as well as free bereavement support services. 

Carolina Caring Foundation receives $30,000 grant to help families in Burke CountyThe Paper, Morganton, NC; by The Paper Staff; 12/20/25 Burke County families caring for children with serious illnesses will see added support through a $30,000 grant awarded to Carolina Caring Foundation for Cardinal Kids, the region’s pediatric palliative and hospice care program. Carolina Caring Foundation announced it received the grant from Speedway Children’s Charities to help fund services provided through Cardinal Kids. The foundation said this is the third consecutive year Speedway Children’s Charities has selected Carolina Caring Foundation as a grant recipient.