Literature Review

[Updated] Trump administration suspends hospice Special Focus Program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/14/25 The Trump Administration has suspended implementation of the hospice Special Focus Program. Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space have contended that the agency’s methodology for selecting hospices for the program is deeply flawed. Notice of the suspension appeared [Friday, 2/14] on the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.Editor's note: Click here for "Hospice leaders applaud CMS’s decision to reevaluate Special Focus Program, call for meaningful reforms," posted 2/17/25.

Teleios announces completion of Boomer End-of-Life Care Survey Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN), Hendersonville, NC; by Tina Gentry; 2/12/25 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN) announced the completion of its survey titled “What Baby Boomers Want in End-of-Life Care.” This survey aimed to gain insights into the healthcare preferences and needs of the Baby Boomer generation as they age, transition into retirement and seek end-of-life care. On February 5th, TCN’s Visioneering Council, which comprises member CEOs, C-Suite staff, and marketing managers, gathered to discuss the survey results and explore the best ways to utilize this information to enhance patient care. Before reviewing TCN’s survey findings, Matthew Wilkinson from NPHI and Bill Keane from Emergence presented results from NPHI’s “Aging and End of Life Care Survey.” Additionally, Dr. Terry Fulmer provided insights from the John A. Hartford Foundation’s survey titled “What Older Adults Want from Health Care.” TCN President and CEO Chris Comeaux said, “Over my career, we have been honored to care for the greatest generation. Now that we are at the dawn of the baby boomers being the majority of those we will be honored to care for as they enter their twilight years. Knowing what they expect, what they care about, what they do not want to worry about, all of this is such important data to ensure hospice over the next 30 years is providing an even greater service to patients and families. That’s what this study was looking to accomplish. It’s a great start in that direction.” 

Hospice advocates push bill for a third time despite two Hochul vetoes Spectrum News 1, New York State; by susan Arbetter; 2/12/25 Last spring, Capital Tonight sounded an alarm about for-profit hospice care. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had just issued public warnings about for-profit hospice fraud in four states; it was alerting consumers to a scam in which patients were being enrolled without their knowledge by recruiters who were “selling” hospice to people who weren’t eligible. Hospice fraud like this has also been extensively reported by The New Yorker and Pro Publica. After Gov. Kathy Hochul twice vetoed a bill preventing the expansion of for-profit hospice in New York, a new bill (S.3437/ A. 565) is being introduced by the chair of the state Senate Finance Committee, Liz Krueger, and chair of the state Assembly Health Committee, Amy Paulin. “If a family is faced with a loved one that is dying, they should not also be faced with the possible incentive of money,” Assembly member Paulin told Capital Tonight. There are a variety of drawbacks to for-profit care, and there is clear data that shows profit motives drive for-profit hospice to neglect patient care and prioritize volume over quality.

Hospice leaders applaud CMS’s decision to reevaluate Special Focus Program, call for meaningful reforms National Alliance for Care at Home, Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 2/14/25 Effective February 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has ceased the implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) so that CMS may further evaluate the program. This decision is a positive move acknowledging that the current approach is not working as intended. The hospice community has long advocated for strong oversight and patient protections, but the SFP, as implemented, was deeply flawed, unlawful, and harmful to the very patients it was meant to protect. A multi-state coalition of hospices and hospice associations took legal action in January to challenge the program, citing its misrepresentation of hospice compliance records, misleading data, and jeopardized access to high-quality end-of-life care. The flawed algorithm behind the SFP failed to distinguish fraudulent providers from reputable ones, disproportionately penalized well-established hospices, and ignored repeated warnings from congressional leaders and industry stakeholders. ... Now that CMS is reassessing its approach, there is an opportunity to ensure that oversight efforts truly enhance patient protections without restricting access to trusted hospice providers. The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) remain committed to protecting access to high-quality hospice care and ensuring that regulatory oversight is fair, transparent, and aligned with congressional intent. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.] 

Suzetrigine: First-in-class nonopioid pain therapy is approved by FDAAmerican Journal of Managed Care; Giuliana Grossi; 1/25Suzetrigine (Journavx; Vertex Pharmaceuticals) received approval from the FDA for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain, according to an announcement from Vertex. The therapy is a novel oral, non-opioid, highly selective NaV1.8 pain signal inhibitor ... offering a non-opioid alternative amid the opioid crisis. Clinical trials demonstrated significant efficacy in postsurgical pain relief, though results varied across different conditions. Despite this, suzetrigine offers the potential to energize the nonopioid pain market, which includes other companies like Tris Pharma, Latigo Biotherapeutics, and SiteOne Therapeutics—all actively developing alternatives to opioids. Key findings from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review analysis of the phase 3 trials include potential lifetime cost savings of $200 per patient when comparing suzetrigine with opioids, assuming a 1-week course priced at $420.

Researchers outline new research priorities in neuropalliative care UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC; by Winnie K. Lau, MD and David Y. Hwang, MD2/7/25... An emerging field, termed “neuropalliative care,” has taken shape over the past few years to help provide impactful, holistic care for patients with serious neurological disease. And now, experts in the field are seeking ways to improve the overall wellbeing of their patients and loved ones through the power of research. ... A special communication in JAMA Neurology, first-authored by Winnie K. Lau, MD, a neurocritical care physician and associate professor of neurology and senior-authored by David Y. Hwang, MD, professor of neurology and division chief of neurocritical care, describes needed research that can help advance patient care, including:

Palliative care initiated in the Emergency Department-A cluster randomized clinical trialJAMA; Corita R. Grudzen, MD, MSHS; Nina Siman, MA, MSEd; Allison M. Cuthel, MPH; Oluwaseun Adeyemi, MBBS, PhD; Rebecca Liddicoat Yamarik, MD; Keith S. Goldfeld, DrPH, MS, MPA; PRIM-ER Investigators; 1/25Question-What is the effect of a multicomponent intervention to initiate palliative care in the emergency department on hospital admission in older adults with serious, life-limiting illness? In this cluster randomized clinical trial, which was conducted at 29 US emergency departments and included 98,922 initial visits, there was no difference in the rate of hospital admission in older adults with serious, life-limiting illness receiving care before (64.4%) vs after (61.3%) emergency department clinical staff receipt of a multicomponent primary palliative care intervention. Relevance-This multicomponent intervention to initiate palliative care in the ED did not have an effect on hospital admission, subsequent health care use, or short-term mortality in older adults with serious, life-limiting illness.

Arkansas Hospice names Brian Bell new President and CEO Arkansas Money & Politics (AMP); by AMP Staff; 2/7/25 Arkansas Hospice announced Thursday that Dr. Brian W. Bell, M.D., FAAHPM, will take over as president and CEO for Arkansas Hospice’s Family of Care on March 10.  He joined the company in 2016 and is currently the chief medical officer. He will replace Judith Wooten, who announced her retirement last year. Wooten will stay on through April to ensure a smooth transition. Bell has worked in hospice care since 2006 and is board-certified in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. He is one of only people in the state with the designation fellow of the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. 

Flu cases continue to rise across the countryABC 6 News, Rochester, MN; by KAALTV; 2/10/25Flu cases are continuing to rise across the country as doctor visits for flu-like symptoms are now reaching their highest point in 15 years. The CDC estimates at least 24 million illnesses this flu season alone, with 13,000 turning deadly. Right now, about 31% of flu tests are coming back positive, nearly double the peak from last season. Doctors say your best line of defense is vaccination. Editor's note: We see this surge across news media sources, and compiled this state-specific list for you. 

New report details financial, emotional toll of Parkinson’s on family caregivers McKnights Home Care; by Foster Stubbs; 2/4/25 A new report sheds a light on the unique challenges faced by family caregivers who care for loved ones with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The report, Parkinson’s Disease Caregiving in the US, features insights from secondary analysis and supplementary interviews with 10 PD caregivers. These caregivers average 31 hours of unpaid care per week; half of interviewed caregivers exceed 100 hours each week, according to the report. The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), with support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and Arcadia University, released the report.  

‘Severe understaffing and sharp cuts’: 2,000 health care workers to picket Providence on Wednesday Euraka Times-Standard, Eureka, CA; by Robert Schaulis; 2/11/25 More than 2,000 health care workers will picket Providence hospitals and health care facilities throughout Northern California this Wednesday. The day of action will take place across six sites throughout the region — four hospitals and two hospices across Humboldt, Napa and Sonoma counties — including Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. More than 2,000 health care workers represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers have elected to picket, citing “severe understaffing and sharp cuts to health services in communities that are dependent on Providence for their medical care.” ... Layoffs have also resulted in increased caseloads in areas like Sonoma County, where Providence has laid off hospice workers.

Use of digital health technologies by older US adultsJAMA Network Open; Cornelius A. James, MD; Tanima Basu, MS, MA; Brahmajee K. Nallamothu, MD, MPH; Jeffery T. Kullgren, MD, MPH, MS; 1/25Older adults use various types of DHT [digital health technologies], and they use patient portals most often. Although some older adults have unique physical and cognitive needs that can affect the utility and usability of DHTs, in aggregate they share some predictors of DHT use with younger adults. Additionally, our study showed a statistically significant association between non-Hispanic Black race and ethnicity and DHT use. Various factors may contribute to this finding, including medical mistrust among Black patients leading to decreased engagement with the health system and increased reliance on DHTs. This study highlights the need to carefully consider the unique characteristics of older adults when developing and deploying DHTs to avoid worsening the digital divide.