Literature Review

Top news stories from 2025, and predictions for 2026 by Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner | Part 2 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast/video hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 1/16/26 In Part 2 of Top News Stories from 2025, and Predictions for 2026, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner look back on their 2025 predictions with honesty and perspective before turning their focus to what lies ahead.  Both agree that 2025 was defined less by disruption and more by incremental movement.  While pressures around staffing, reimbursement, Medicare Advantage, Hospice quality, and AI persisted, many of the anticipated “breaking points” never fully arrived—revealing a year shaped more by steady undercurrents than seismic shifts.

Alliance responds to MedPAC vote on home health and hospice payment recommendations National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/15/26 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is alarmed by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) vote today to approve draft recommendations that would significantly reduce home health payment rates by 7% for calendar year 2027 and eliminate payment updates for hospice care in fiscal year 2027.  ... For hospice, the elimination of payment updates would reduce spending by $250 million to $750 million over one year and between $1 billion and $5 billion over five years. 

Baptist Health and Hosparus Health expand hospice and palliative care partnership to Southern Indiana Hosparus Health, Louisville, KY; Press Release; 1/14/26 Hosparus Health and its palliative care affiliate, Pallitus Health Partners, in collaboration with Baptist Health, announce the expansion of their innovative partnership to Southern Indiana. As of January 2, 2026, Pallitus Health Partners is offering palliative care consultations for patients at Baptist Health Floyd in New Albany. The program focuses on supporting patients and families facing serious illness by providing expert symptom management, helping them plan for the future, and connecting them with broader care options, including hospice when appropriate. 

Marion hospice volunteer wins major honor from New England Patriots SouthCoast Today | The Standard-Times; by Faith Harrington; 1/14/26 Giving back took center stage this season as the New England Patriots Foundation donated $185,000 to 17 local nonprofit organizations in honor of its 2025 Patriots Difference Makers. ... The feel-good initiative wrapped up during the Patriots’ season finale on Jan. 4, where all of the Difference Makers were recognized, including Marion resident Madeline Cooke, who earned the title of 2025 Patriots Difference Maker of the Year. ... As the 2025 Patriots Difference Maker of the Year, Cooke was presented with a $25,000 grant for Community Nurse Inc. ... The foundation called her “a trailblazer, determined to walk alongside patients and their loved ones with dignity, grace, and compassion.”

Suncrest Hospice announces Dallas office now serving north Texas families PRUnderground - Norfolk & Wrentham, TX; Press Release; 1/13/26 Suncrest Hospice ... announced today that its Dallas office is now serving families across Arlington, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and surrounding areas. The new location brings high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care to North Texas communities. ... The Dallas office marks Suncrest’s third location in Texas, joining established teams in Austin and San Antonio. This expansion extends the company’s reach to 53 locations across 25 states, strengthening its commitment to providing accessible hospice services nationwide.

Sangre de Cristo Community Care expands rural healthcare with HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley affiliation Small Business World Journal, Glenwood Springs, CO; Press Release; 1/12/26 Sangre de Cristo Community Care has announced that HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley, based in Glenwood Springs, will become an affiliate. This affiliation marks an important step in strengthening healthcare access in rural Colorado and reflects Sangre’s and HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley’s deep commitment to ensuring compassionate care to rural communities. By joining forces, the two nonprofit organizations will now collectively cover 28,000 square miles across the state, expanding Sangre's existing 22,000 square miles of service and providing HomeCare & Hospice of the Valley with Sangre's infrastructure and resources.

What to expect in US healthcare in 2026 and beyond McKinsey & Company; by Neha Patel and Shubham Singhal with Ankit Jain; 1/12/26The healthcare industry faces successive waves of challenging trends, with glimmers of opportunity in select segments. US healthcare system continues to face considerable financial strain, although there are pockets of opportunity. ... Payers and providers have borne the brunt of the decline to date and will continue to feel financial pressure in the immediate future. ... Meanwhile, providers could experience an increase in uncompensated care and loss of reimbursement. ... Post-acute care is positioned for stronger performance over the next several years, with continued growth in home health and hospice but stagnation in skilled nursing facilities. ...

Aspen Hospice opens new branch Wood County Monitor, Mineola, TX; by Brynna Williamson; 1/8/26 “It’s not a number. It’s very much a personal experience.” That’s the attitude the folks at Aspen Hospice and Palliative Care in Quitman say they maintain. Haven’t heard of them? That’s OK; Aspen is new to Quitman. However, it isn’t a new company. In fact, Regional Director of Business Development Kayla Howard says that Aspen has 24 branches across the nation. What the local branch might lack in antiquity, it makes up for in a professed desire to serve the elderly and vulnerable in Wood County. 

OhioHealth, Columbus family foundation end decades-long relationship Columbus Business First - Healthcare, Columbus, OH; by Carrie Ghose; 1/9/26 The primary benefactors for OhioHealth Corp.'s hospice facility have shifted their family's support to another nonprofit, Dayton-based Ohio's Hospice - citing dissatisfaction with the involvement of private equity in end-of-life care. ... "In the bright glare of machines and the cold calculation of metrics, some in our society have allowed the final days of human life to become a logistical and financial puzzle, measured in reimbursement rates and hospital capacity," said a statement from the Kobacker family of Columbus. OhioHealth will announce new naming rights for its Kobacker House in the coming months, the system said in a statement to Columbus Business First. No patients are affected by the transition. [Access may be limited due to paywall.]

‘A hug from the community’: Pikes Peak Hospice seeks red, white and blue blankets for veteran patients The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO; by O'Dell Isaac; 1/7/25 Last year, as part of an ongoing effort to honor local military veterans, Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care performed more than 100 “bedside salutes” and pinning ceremonies for veteran patients. The ceremonies include the gift of a handmade red, white and blue blanket, sewn or crocheted by a volunteer. ... Each year, Pikes Peak Hospice provides care to more than 2,200 patients and their families in the region, nearly 25% of whom are former service members, according to veteran liaison Sonya Bergeron.Editor's Note: This is a beautiful example of community gratitude in action. These handmade red, white, and blue blankets offer comfort, honor service, and often remain with families long after a veteran has died. What percentage of your hospice’s patients are veterans, and how do you honor them?

Lawsuit against Baxter Health by former Hospice board members dismissed KTLO - Mountain Lakes Broadcasting Corporation, Mountain Home, AR; by Staff; 1/6/26 The nearly 2 month legal dispute between now former members of the board of the Hospice of the Ozarks and Baxter Health, CEO Ron Peterson and newly appointed board members came to an end Monday with the dismissal of the lawsuit and resignations of the original 11 member board. ... The original suit was filed on November 21, 2025 and sought to restrain 14 newly appointed board members by Baxter Health from taking any actions on behalf of Hospice or from voting at any Hospice board meeting. The lawsuit alleged the action to appoint the new board members taken recently by the hospital was fraudulent and done to seize control and power from the then current 11 member Hospice board.

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. 

Harbor Hospice Foundation raises over $1M for Muskegon County residence MLive.com, Muskegon County, MI; by Ehren Wynder; 1/7/26 The Harbor Hospice Foundation said it has officially exceeded its $1 million fundraising goal in support of the Leila & Cyrus Poppen Hospice Residence. As of Tuesday, Jan. 6, the foundation said it has raised $1.17 million from donors, supporters and partner organizations. The campaign is still accepting donations until the end of January. “This milestone represents more than a dollar amount; it represents the collective commitment of our community to care for one another during life’s most vulnerable moments,” Ammy Seymour, director of development and communications for the Harbor Hospice Foundation, said in a statement.