Literature Review

Kobacker program moves to Ohio’s Hospice in landmark partnership preserving future of quality nonprofit end-of-life care US National Times, Columbus, OH; Press Release; 1/7/26 The Kobacker family today announced that Kobacker House, central Ohio’s pioneering inpatient hospice facility founded in 1989, will move and continue its mission under Ohio’s Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice provider. As part of the announcement, the family published a guiding charter, The Kobacker Way, which details fundamental principles for quality nonprofit hospice care. The full document is available at www.TheKobackerWay.org. 

Hospice: Care, commerce, and the cost of a separate category The Pine Belt News, Hattiesburg, MS; by Cathy Eaker; 1/5/26 Hospice care is often presented as a compassionate alternative to aggressive medicine—a gentler path that prioritizes comfort, dignity, and peace at the end of life. In theory, it is a humane model. In practice, hospice exists at the intersection of care and commerce, and that intersection deserves far more scrutiny than it receives. ... That does not mean hospice nurses, aides, social workers, or chaplains are unethical. Quite the opposite. Most of the people providing hands-on hospice care have good hearts. They care deeply. They show up. They bathe patients gently, sit at bedsides, hold hands, and witness grief with humanity. The problem is not the caregivers—it is the structure they work within. ...

Refuge: How people experiencing homelessness spend their final days NBC News, KUSA-9, Denver, CO; by Chris Vanderveen and Chris Hansen; 12/21/25 If few cities and states know how to effectively deal with their unhoused populations, far fewer know what to do when the unhoused enter the final days, weeks, and months of their lives. The 9NEWS documentary “Refuge” represents a deeply personal examination of one of the more invisible crises of American life today: hospice care for the unhoused. “People like to think somehow, some way it’s being taken care of, but it’s not,” said James “JP” Hall, founder of Denver’s Rocky Mountain Refuge, one of a handful of places around the country that offers custodial end-of-life care for people experiencing homelessness.

Technology Documentation Automation a Priority in Hospice AI Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/15/25 Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly proliferating throughout health care and beyond. Among its many applications, streamlining documentation is among the most prevalent for hospices. Hospices leverage documentation software for a wide array of functions, including visit scheduling, care plan updates, interdisciplinary team notes, medication management and bereavement services, as well as billing, compliance tracking and family communication, among other functions.

5 leadership trends that could shape 2026 Forbes; by Sally Percy; 12/8/25 ... [Given] the rapid pace of change, how should leaders prepare for the year ahead? Here are five key trends they should be aware of – leadership trends that could shape 2026:

Hospice margins dropping despite utilization gains Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/9/25 Hospice margins are falling despite record-high utilization, according to data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). The commission has released its draft recommendations to Congress, repeating its annual call to eliminate hospice payment rate increases in future years. “For fiscal year, 2027, Congress should eliminate the update to the 2026 Medicare base payment rate for hospice,” MedPAC indicated in its draft recommendations. ... The average Medicare fee-for-service margin for hospices fell to 8% in 2023, down from 9.8% in 2022 and 14.2% in 2020, according to MedPAC. Among for-profit providers, the average 2023 margin was 13.7%, whereas nonprofits in aggregate showed a loss at -1.3%. These numbers exclude cap overpayments and non-reimbursible costs.

Hospice of South Texas announces full funding for new support services building PROLG Press Release Distribution, Victoria, TX; by Hospice of South Texas; 12/8/25 Hospice of South Texas (HOST) is grateful to announce that the Support Services Building is now fully funded. This milestone was reached through a remarkable $700,000 gift from the M. G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation and the generous support of many additional donors. Their partnership ensures continued access to nonprofit, compassionate hospice care for families across twelve South Texas counties. 

The future of hospice care: Opportunities and challenges Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Ira Byock and Cordt Kassner; 12/3/25 In this meaningful episode of TCNtalks, host Chris Comeaux sits down with Cordt Kassner and renowned Hospice pioneer Dr. Ira Byock to explore why Hospice and Palliative Care matter now more than ever—especially during the holiday season, when reflection and connection take center stage.The conversation traces the evolution of Hospice, highlighting how its mission has expanded beyond end-of-life care to fostering true well-being for patients and families. Dr. Byock challenges long-held assumptions about Hospice, urging a reframing of the narrative to emphasize life completion, compassion, and the profound impact these services have on the broader healthcare landscape.

Hospice gets free solar power as firms chip in BBC News, Luton, England; by Louise Parry; 11/22/25 A solar company said it had seen "amazing generosity" from local and international firms who pulled together to provide a hospice with free renewable power. Keech Hospice in Luton has received an array of 504 photovoltaic panels, which would usually cost about £200,000 to install. "We're calling it a solar legacy project, not just a one-off donation, as it will save the hospice £50,000 a year," said project manager Eddie Doherty. Liz Searle, chief executive of Keech said: "This gift doesn't just power our building — it powers hope, care, and community for years to come."

Telehealth survives again: What the most recent flexibility extension means for providers JD Supra; by Conor Duffy and Danielle Tangorre; 11/17/25 On November 12, 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 5371 the “Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs and Extensions Act, 2026” (the Act). The Act ended the federal government shutdown by providing necessary funding; it also extends key Medicare telehealth flexibilities to January 30, 2026. ... This represents another short-term extension of Medicare telehealth flexibilities that will again need to be revisited in January 2026. ... Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities Extended by the Act [include]:

How CFOs can harness the power of their shifting role HealthLeaders - Analysis; by Marie Defreitas; 11/17/25 As turnover rises and expectations expand, CFOs are redefining their influence; from financial stewards to enterprise strategists and even future CEOs. The role's evolution demands new skills, deeper relationships, and a broader vision of what value means. ...

The human cost of health care automation MedPageToday's KevinMD.com; by Christie Mulholland; 11/8/25 AI is rolling out in medicine faster than most of us can process. Ambient scribes documenting visits. Clinical decision support algorithms. Automated prior authorizations. The promises are compelling: reduced clerical burden, more face-time with patients, less burnout. I wanted this. As a palliative care doctor and director of physician well-being at my institution, ... [when] AI tools promised relief, I advocated for them. ...