Literature Review

Pharmacy in suit files for bankruptcySan Antonio Express News, by Patrick Danner; 2/12/24County's litigation targets Trinity along with major retailers for the amount of opioids it dispensed. ... A lawyer for the county dubbed it a "pill mill." ... Trinity Pharmacies said in a court filing that 99% of prescriptions it fills are for patients in hospice care.

Hospice support, staff appreciation: [Singing Telegram]Daily News, Wahpeton, ND, by Frank Stanko; 2/9/24You just never know who is going to drop by Daily News’ office in Wahpeton. [On] Giving Hearts Day, celebrated Thursday, Feb. 8, ... a singing telegram [was delivered]. The unique gift was shared by Daily News Publisher Tara Klostreich to appreciate the staff and also as a way to support CHI Health at Home Hospice. [They] sang three favorites, ‘Can’t Help Falling Falling in Love’ and ‘Love Me Tender’ by Elvis, plus ‘Daisy Bell.’ 

How do you live while your brother is dying? ‘Suncoast’ is a teen take on hospiceWisconsin Public Radio, by Mandalit Del Barco; 2/9/24A new film streaming on Hulu considers a subject that’s sometimes in the news, but not often in entertainment: hospice end-of-life care. Suncoast is writer-director Laura Chinn’s fictional account of her life in the early 2000s as a Florida teen with a severely ill older brother. ... Chinn helped her mother care for him for years, and at the end of his life, they moved him into a hospice center. It turned out to be the same place that a woman named Terri Schiavo was on life support for 15 years.

Hundreds gather in St. Louis to remember former US Sen. Jean Carnahan The Public's Radio - AP; 2/11/24Children and grandchildren of former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri recalled her wit, curiosity, kindness and hard work during a public memorial service on Saturday. Carnahan, 90, died Jan. 30 in hospice care in suburban St. Louis after a short illness. Carnahan became Missouri's first female U.S. senator when she was appointed in 2001 to replace her husband, Mel Carnahan, [who] died in a plane crash that also killed his son, Randy, and campaign adviser Chris Sifford, just weeks before the 2000 election.

Cigna doubles down on growing Evernorth Health ServicesModern Healthcare, by Lauren Berryman; 2/2/24Two days after announcing it would sell its Medicare business, Cigna Group outlined plans to double down on growth opportunities for its Evernorth Health Services unit... It also expects to benefit from the continued growth of Medicare Advantage, despite its pending exit, by offering pharmacy benefits to these plans... Evernorth provides pharmacy, care delivery and benefits solutions to health plans, employers, government entities and providers. It also houses its Express Scripts pharmacy benefit manager, which is one of the top three largest pharmacy benefit managers by market share.

Humana to close its Louisville headquartersBecker's Payer Issues, by Rylee Wilson; 2/5/24Humana will consolidate its Louisville, Ky., headquarters, exiting the 27-story tower that bears its name. The company decided to leave the building as the company evolved to offer more flexible workstyles, the company said in a statement shared with Becker's. Humana will exit the downtown Louisville location over the next 18 to 24 months...

Joint Commission CEO talks about new sustainability program for hospitalsChief Healthcare Executive, by Ron Southwick; 2/5/24[The Joint Commission,] which accredits thousands of healthcare organizations on a variety of health and safety issues, has just launched a voluntary certification program on sustainability. [Dr. Jonathan] Perlin, [president and CEO], says he has heard from clinicians who pushed for a program to help hospitals do better on environmental issues. ... Undoubtedly, hospitals and health systems must improve their sustainability efforts. Each day, a hospital produces a ton of waste per every 100 beds, Perlin says.

Community steps up to donate $309K to Matthews House HospiceBradfordToday; 2/3/24Matthews House Hospice (MHH) is continually amazed by the generous support of our community. As a result of the community support, we raised over $309,000 throughout December and January for our annual holiday giving campaign. This year, the holiday campaign highlighted the impact that our community hospice programs make in the lives of our clients and their families.

100 Most influential people in healthcare - 2023Modern Healthcare; 1/23/24The 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare awards & recognition program honors individuals in healthcare who are deemed by their peers and the senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be the most influential individuals in the industry, in terms of leadership and impact.

Healthcare bankruptcies in 2023 hit highest level in 5 yearsModern Healthcare, by Caroline Hudson; 1/25/24Healthcare company bankruptcies soared in 2023 to their highest level in the last five years, according to a report released Thursday by Gibbins Advisors. The advisory firm's report, which looked at Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filings from 2019 to 2023, found 79 healthcare companies with more than $10 million in liabilities filed for bankruptcy protection last year. Pharmaceutical and senior care companies made up nearly half of the list. The next-highest year for bankruptcies was 2019, when 51 companies filed for protection.

Cigna to sell Medicare business to HCSC for $3.3BBecker's Payer Issues, by Rylee Wilson; 1/31/24The Cigna Group reached a deal to sell its Medicare business to Health Care Service Corp. for $3.3 billion. According to a Jan. 31 news release from Cigna, the sale includes Cigna's Medicare Advantage, supplemental benefits, Medicare Part D offerings, and CareAllies, a value-based care management subsidiary.

When a spouse goes to the nursing homeThe New York Times, by Paula Span; 2/5/24After moving his partner of 33 years to a memory care residence, Joseph Drolet, a retired lawyer in Atlanta, said his fear of what would happen to her if he died or became disabled has abated.

Colorado’s paid leave program just launched. Here’s why that’s good for the state.U.S. Department of Labor Blog, by Gayle Goldin; 2/5/24Today marks the 31st anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), landmark federal legislation that provides eligible workers unpaid, job-protected leave for specific family and medical reasons. ... But the FMLA is not enough. The lack of a paid leave standard means that many people cannot afford to take time away from work, even when they need it. That’s why we’re celebrating Colorado’s new paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI), which began accepting applications on Jan. 1.