Literature Review

How SNF upper payment limits can hurt hospices Hospice News; by Brandyn Simmons; 8/17/2 When it comes to healthcare — especially if it involves Medicare or Medicaid — one solution can lead to new problems. The Upper Payment Limit (UPL) program is no exception to this rule. Across the spectrum in healthcare, Medicaid reimbursements have typically been inadequate in covering all expenses for patient care. This is where the UPL comes in. Under this initiative, providers such as skilled nursing facilities (SNF) can receive a gap payment through Medicare to make up the difference. While this is a boon for SNFs, this can become a major headache for many hospice companies across the United States. ...

Who should palliative care see? Diane Meier, Bob Arnold, and Justin Sanders GeriPal; by Alex Smith; 8/13/26 As Diane Meier remarks to start today’s podcast, palliative care has come a long way from the days when we were the “brink of death” consult. We’re seeing patients earlier and earlier in the course of illness.  In fact, the evidence base for specialist palliative care is arguably stronger in the outpatient setting than the inpatient setting.  In some ways, as Eric remarked, we are a victim of our own success. We’ve pushed on the boundaries of seeing patients earlier in the course of illness, we’ve demonstrated remarkable value to our colleagues and health systems: now they want us to see more and more patients, with conditions we would not have previously considered core to palliative care practice. Our guests modeled respectful disagreement, and we were somewhat surprised that there was more agreement than we expected.  

JRMC Hospice Memorial Service NewsDakota.com, Jamestown, ND; by Steve Urness; 8/14/2026 Caregivers, families and friends gathered Aug. 11 at Jamestown Regional Medical Center (JRMC) to remember loved ones during a hospice memorial service. Attendees came together to honor and reflect on those who have passed and concluded with the planting of a maple tree in JRMC’s Kornovich Healing Gardens. Members of JRMC Home Health and Hospice, including chaplains, social workers and nurses, spoke during the ceremony. ... Registered nurse Chelsey Duffy. “Hospice is about living every remaining moment with comfort, dignity, peace and love. It is about making sure no one walks this journey alone.” The newly planted maple tree will serve as a living tribute to those remembered during the service, representing both remembrance and renewal.

Aveanna eyes home health, hospice M&A while executing preferred payer strategy Home Health Care News; by MK Manoylov; 8/13/26 Aveanna Healthcare Holdings hit its preferred payer goals ahead of schedule and plans to push deeper into its fastest-growing segment — home health and hospice — through additional acquisitions. Improved federal government affairs and preferred payer results largely drove the company to update its previous 5% to 7% home health and hospice organic growth rate to 8% to 10%, Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner said in the company’s Q2 earnings call on Thursday. “With the durability of our organic growth rates and thoughtful M&A activity, we believe Aveanna is well positioned to achieve double-digit revenue growth on an annual basis,” Shaner said.

Hospice of Michigan receives more than $20k in donations following Josh & Jase visit ABC-13, Grand Rapids, MI; by Mary Dupuis; 8/14/26 The viral social media duo Josh & Jase have helped raise more than $20,000 for Hospice of Michigan's statewide pediatric hospice program this summer. The fundraising campaign was launched in support of the Jo Elyn Nyman Pediatric Hospice Endowment Fund. ... Josh Cauldwell-Clarke and Jase Riley became famous on social media for their travel videos reacting to American food, culture and exciting experiences. ... During their time in Grand Rapids, Josh and Jase spent time with pediatric hospice patients and their families at Hospice of Michigan. After their social media post about the visit, more than 350 donations flooded in to Hospice of Michigan from across the country. 

Why “strong operators” struggle when they step into leadership? Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP); by Jan Sweat; 8/14/26 In 1992, a student asked Steve Jobs what the most important thing he had learned was. The room went quiet. Jobs sat there thinking for more than twenty seconds before answering. Then he shared a lesson that has become one of the most powerful leadership insights I’ve ever heard: “I now take a longer-term view on people. In other words, when I see something not being done right, my first reaction isn’t to go fix it. It’s to say, we’re building a team here and we’re going to do great stuff for the next decade, not just the next year. And so what do I need to do to help so that the person that’s screwing up learns versus how do I fix the problem?” That quote perfectly captures the challenge many healthcare leaders face when they move from being a strong operator to leading a team.   

New developments in exclusion enforcement: CMS gains exclusion authority Thompson Coburn LLP; by Milada R. Goturi , April R. Kirkley , Christine N. Moser; 8/14/26 Historically, the HHS Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) has been the only agency authorized to exclude individuals and entities from Federal healthcare programs. According to a recent HHS announcement, however, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) has also been granted exclusion authority. The exclusion authority will significantly expand CMS’s existing program-integrity powers and will allow CMS to not only deny, suspend, revoke or terminate Medicare enrollment but to also prevent healthcare providers from participating in the Federal healthcare programs altogether.

Home health aide pay 2026: $17.36/hr average, top states & policy threat to your paycheck Unfinished Man; by Rasha; 8/11/26 The average home health aide makes $36,120 a year, or $17.36 an hour — but pay varies widely by state, setting, and a proposed federal rule change. You search “home health aide salary” and get three different numbers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says one thing, Payscale says another, and the Labor Department median sits somewhere in between. Which one do you trust? ... Some aides earn barely above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Others clear $20 an hour. And right now, there’s a policy fight happening that could change everything about how this job pays.

Can a short-term moratorium strengthen the hospice sector? LeadingAge; by Katie Smith Sloan; 8/11/26 President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan explains why LeadingAge supported the six-month moratorium on Medicare enrollment of new hospice providers and what nonprofit providers can do to strengthen the hospice sector.Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a community theater production of the iconic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” In a series of unforgettable scenes, Tevye, the production’s main character, makes difficult family decisions by artfully balancing opposing views before choosing his path. “On the one hand,” he intones, then ruminates on the important role tradition must play in the life of his village and family. “On the other hand,” he counters thoughtfully, then acknowledges that the inevitability of change must be factored into every decision.I’ve recalled Tevye’s internal monologue many times since May, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a six-month national moratorium on enrolling new hospice agencies in Medicare. ...

Sixth Circuit clarifies Medicare safe harbor for hospice providers in landmark coverage decision JD Supra; by Jason Bring and Bill Dombi; 8/5/26 Key Takeaways

Private equity ownership in hospice care:  a systematic review (2012-2026) American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Denise D. Quigley, Shannon Walsh, Cordt T. Kassner, Lara Dhingra, Andrew W. Dick; 7/28/26 Hospice care is associated with improved end-of-life outcomes. Recent shifts in hospice utilization highlight several key trends. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) (25%) have surpassed cancer (23%) as the leading primary diagnosis. Concurrently, industry ownership has transitioned from predominantly nonprofit to for-profit (70%) and private equity (PE) ownership has grown dramatically from 3% to 15%. To date, no study has synthesized evidence on PE ownership in hospice care.  We conducted a systematic review of English-language, peer-reviewed studies published 2012-2026, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

MatrixCare publishes their list of 2026 CAHPS Honors Elite and Honors Award winners MatrixCare, by ResMed; retrieved from the MatrixCare website on 8/11/26 For over 10 years, the prestigious HHCAHPS Honors and Hospice CAHPS Honors programs recognize agencies that excel in delivering positive patient experiences and high-quality care as measured by the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) and Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (CAHPS) satisfaction scores. ... By highlighting agencies that excel in patient satisfaction and quality of care, these programs not only celebrate outstanding achievement, but also set standards of excellence within the industry. They inspire agencies to continually prioritize the patient and caregiver experiences—fostering trust, compassion, and innovation in home health and hospice services. [Read the list here.]Editor's Note: This list was selected and published by MatrixCare (a ResMed company), and is limited to their clients, only. MatrixCare's "Honors" status indicates scores above MatrixCare's National Performance scores for at least 17 of 22 measures; "Elite" status indicates scores above national averages for all 22 measures. Several other CAHPS approved vendors provide their own scoring and awards. CMS--itself--does not run an award program; it does publish official Care Compare measure scores. Congratulations to all organizations listed, especially the approximately 70 that reached MatrixCare's top "Honors Elite" tier.