Literature Review

Building health equity for Minnesota’s Hmong community: The role and impact of the HmongHmong Studies Journal; by Yeng M. Yang; 2/26This article examines the health care experiences of Hmong refugees in Minnesota and the U.S. since the late 1970s, highlighting major public health challenges as well as notable progress reflecting their resilience. It highlights how Hmong Americans have navigated obstacles to health care such as language barriers, cultural differences, and limited access to culturally competent healthcare, while emphasizing the vital role of the Hmong Health Care Professionals Coalition (HHCPC/ The Coalition).

Oversight Committee launches investigation into rampant taxpayer fraud in California hospice programs U.S. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC; Press Release; 3/23/26Following alarming reports that California officials failed to properly safeguard federal funds, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Oversight Committee Republicans today launched an investigation into rampant taxpayer fraud in California’s hospice programs. ... The Oversight Committee is now requesting documents and communications regarding California’s oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs.Editor's Note: CMS Testimony at the Oversight Committee by Kim Brandt, Deputy Administrator & Chief Operating Officer, CMS. 

MedPAC: March 2026 Report to CongressMedPAC Reports; 3/12/26Medicare Benefit: National health care spending grew rapidly in 2023 and 2024, by 7 percent in each of these years. By 2024, national health care spending totaled $5.3 trillion. Health care spending has made up an increasing share of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) over time, rising from about 13 percent of GDP in 2000 to 18 percent in 2024. Medicare spending grew more rapidly than national health care spending in 2023 and 2024 (by 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively), in part due to changes in Part D financing that shifted more of the cost of prescription drug coverage from beneficiaries to the federal government. By 2024, Medicare spending totaled $1.1 trillion—equivalent to 21 percent of national health care spending and 3.8 percent of GDP. (Please see the full report here for additional detail.)

NPHI calls on CMS to enact temporary nationwide moratorium on new hospice provider enrollments to stop fraudulent operators National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 3/25/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), representing the nation’s leading nonprofit, mission-driven, safety-net, hospice and advanced illness care providers, is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement a temporary, nationwide moratorium on new hospice provider enrollments in response to the continued growth of fraudulent providers exploiting the Medicare hospice benefit. In a letter sent today to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and Deputy Administrator Kimberly Brandt, NPHI outlines concerns regarding the unchecked expansion of fraudulent hospice providers and the impact on patients, families, and the integrity of the Medicare program.

Oversight Committee launches investigation into rampant taxpayer fraud in California hospice programs U.S. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Washington, DC; Press Release; 3/23/26Following alarming reports that California officials failed to properly safeguard federal funds, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Oversight Committee Republicans today launched an investigation into rampant taxpayer fraud in California’s hospice programs. In a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, the lawmakers emphasized that the Newsom administration has been aware of state audit reports of hospice fraud for at least four years but has failed to prevent or detect it and has enabled hospice providers to defraud the American taxpayer and exploit vulnerable patients. The Oversight Committee is now requesting documents and communications regarding California’s oversight and internal controls to detect and prevent fraud for its federally funded hospice programs.

Alliance submits comment letter on the Department of Education’s notice of proposed rulemaking, ‘Reimagining and Improving Student Education’ (RISE) National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 3/3/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) has submitted a response to The Department of Education’s proposed rule, titled Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE).  While the Alliance appreciates the Department’s aim of promoting fiscally responsible spending, the comment letter expresses concern that the proposed rule’s narrow definition of professional degree, and the resulting exclusion of nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, occupational therapy, and social work advanced degree programs, would have a unintended consequence for the healthcare workforce and the millions of Americans who depend on care delivered in the home.

Metro East hospice aide caring for her own son with rare terminal disorder First Alert 4, Collinsville, IL; by Jeffrey Bullard; 3/13/26 A Collinsville mother has worked as a hospice care aide for more than 13 years, and soon she will be placing her son in that care. “She is the best,” said Brenda McGarvey of Amber Mers, her coworker at Unity Hospice Care. “If you didn’t know Amber personally, you would never know what she is going through,” explained Beverly Lee. Amber is facing a mother’s worst nightmare. Her son Emil is dying.

Alzheimer’s definitions, biomarkers, and antibodies: Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, and Heather WhitsonGeriPAL podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, Heather Whitson; 3/12/26It’s an era of breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, yet for many clinicians, it’s also a time of profound uncertainty. We are currently navigating competing definitions of the disease, multiple new biomarkers coming on market seemingly every week, and the clinical rollout of new amyloid antibodies. How do we translate this rapid-fire science into daily practice? On this week’s GeriPal podcast... we dive deep into:

[Spain] Queen Letizia supports universal access to palliative care Aragon Health Research Institute | Biomedical Research Center; Press Release; 3/16/26 Her Majesty Queen Letizia received a delegation from the Spanish Society of Palliative Care (SECPAL) with representatives from all essential professional profiles in palliative care. During the meeting, they conveyed to Queen Letizia the current situation of palliative care in Spain as well as the important challenges that persist ... Queen Letizia showed her sensitivity and commitment towards ... those facing advanced illnesses or who are at the end of their lives, and conveyed to SECPAL her support for initiatives aimed at strengthening the development of palliative care in Spain. ... Faced with this reality, SECPAL handed the queen over a decalogue [ten-point plan] which outlines the priorities for the development of palliative care in our country, such as ensuring that there are sufficient resources and appropriately trained teams at all levels of care.

Call for applications: Investigator in Residence ProgramASCENT press release; 3/2/26The Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan (ASCENT) Consortium invites applications for its 2026 Investigator in Residence Program. The goal of this program is to increase the number of palliative care investigators, expand the range of institutions where palliative care research is performed, and develop scientific and leadership capabilities leading to future successful grant proposals, both through ASCENT and extramurally. Applications due Thursday, March 26 at 5:00 pm PT.

MedPAC: March 2026 Report to CongressMedPAC Reports; 3/12/26Medicare Benefit: National health care spending grew rapidly in 2023 and 2024, by 7 percent in each of these years. By 2024, national health care spending totaled $5.3 trillion. Health care spending has made up an increasing share of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) over time, rising from about 13 percent of GDP in 2000 to 18 percent in 2024. Medicare spending grew more rapidly than national health care spending in 2023 and 2024 (by 9 percent and 8 percent, respectively), in part due to changes in Part D financing that shifted more of the cost of prescription drug coverage from beneficiaries to the federal government. By 2024, Medicare spending totaled $1.1 trillion—equivalent to 21 percent of national health care spending and 3.8 percent of GDP. (Please see the full report here for additional detail.)

Avow Hospice fights new rival in Naples Naples Today | Health; 3/5/26 Avow Hospice, a long-standing hospice provider in Naples, Florida, is objecting to the state's preliminary approval of a new hospice entity, Preferred Care Hospice, that Avow says would be detrimental to its operations of over 40 years in the community. Avow has filed a petition for an administrative hearing to try to overturn the state's approval of the new hospice. ... The battle between Avow Hospice and the new Preferred Care Hospice highlights the competitive nature of the hospice industry, especially in growing markets like Naples.