Literature Review

Congress extends hospice telehealth flexibilities Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 12/21/24 Congress has extended the pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities through March 14, 2025. Early Saturday, legislators approved a continuing resolution to fund the government and avoid a shutdown. The bill contained language to extend the flexibilities, which includes the ability to perform face-to-face recertifications via telehealth. They were originally slated to expire on Dec. 31. The extension is a win for health care providers, including hospices, who have come to rely heavily on virtual services during the past five years.   

Lawmakers, health care providers raise alarm about growing antisemitism in medical field Jewish Insider - Health Care Hazard; by Marc Rod; 12/18/24 Speaking on a panel on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, lawmakers, medical professionals and Jewish community advocates sounded the alarm about the spread of antisemitism in the health care field, both within medical schools and in clinical settings. They said that the issue deserves and requires greater attention from Capitol Hill, akin to the attention campus antisemitism has received over the past year. “That’s truly scary, the idea that somehow your religious background or your identity would inform or impact the type of care that you get is not only antisemitic, it’s not only anti-American, it is anti-democratic,” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), the incoming chair of the House antisemitism task force, said at the Jewish Federations of North America-organized briefing.

Bill would require prisons to notify families of inmate deaths Henry Herald, Washington, DC; by Staff; 12/18/24 U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, recently announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill aimed at helping ensure family members are notified in a timely and compassionate manner in the event of the death or serious illness or injury of a loved one in custody. Ossoff and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., recently introduced the bipartisan Family Notification of Death, Injury, or Illness in Custody Act. U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., is leading the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Beshear unveils paid leave plan for state workers with new child or serious illness Spectrum News 1, Frankfort, KY; by Associated Press; 12/12/24 Kentucky plans to provide state employees with paid time off so they can bond with a new child or deal with a serious medical situation, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., said Thursday. The added benefit will give state executive branch workers up to six weeks of paid leave, available in three intervals during an employee's career, the governor said. New hires will immediately become eligible for six weeks of paid time off, he said. Another six weeks of paid leave will be offered two more times: once employees reach 10 years of service and again at 20 years. 

Employees crave Right-to-Disconnect Law HR Daily Advisor; by Lin Grensing-Pophal; 12/12/24 The rise of telecommunications tools like email, online chat, and smart phones has meant that people can stay connected virtually wherever they are, at all times. While that interconnectedness can be a blessing in some situations, it has also led to a lot of stress and burnout among workers who feel like they can’t disconnect when it comes to work. Recent data from web tool review firm EmailTooltester helps flesh out this sentiment, based on survey responses from over 1,000 American adults. Here are some of the key data points:

The politics of loss: What grief reveals Psychology Today; by Daniela E. Miranda, PhD; 12/10/24 It has been a bit over two years since my 27-year-old brother unexpectedly passed away, exactly two weeks before my 64-year-old father, quickly and expectedly, died from cancer. What followed was a series of “secondary losses”. For my family, secondary losses included the shifting dynamics of caregiving and the emotional labor required to rebuild a daily life after multiple losses, while permanently uprooting to a different country. This article is not about my grief but about how the experience of loss can illuminate the fractures and possibilities within our systems of care. ... Key points:

Senior living organizations press senators for passage of Elizabeth Dole Act McKnights Senior Living; by Kathleen Steele Gaivin; 12/2/24 Senior living advocacy groups are pressing Senate Veterans Affairs Committee leaders to seek a unanimous consent agreement on the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, to expedite its passage. ... The advocates noted that the House of Representatives had passed the act Nov. 18 under suspension of the rules. The House overwhelmingly supported the bill, passing the legislation by a vote of 389–9. ... As McKnight’s Senior Living previously has reported, the pilot program would enable 60 veterans to receive assisted living services via a three-year test that also would measure their satisfaction with the effort. The legislation would require that participating facilities be located in geographically diverse regions, with at least one test site serving veterans in a rural or highly rural area and at least one being a state home.

Don’t let CMS publish list of lowest-performing hospices, Alliance tells lawmakers McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 11/26/24 Acting on its plan to keep the hospice Special Focus Program in the spotlight until the end of the year, the National Alliance for Care at Home has sent congressional leaders a letter urging them to remedy the grading system for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ program targeting underperforming hospices. “CMS is on the verge of publishing a list of what they claim will be poor-performing hospices based on this flawed grading system,” Ken Albert, president and CEO of Andwell Health Partners and chair of the Alliance, wrote in a Nov. 22 letter to chairmen and ranking members of House and Senate finance committees. “When you see this list, you should view it skeptically, because CMS will have committed a grave error that risks steering patients away from reputable hospices that may be on the list and toward providers that — because they may not have been surveyed at all — could be low-quality or completely fraudulent.”

Why the DOJ’s lawsuit against the UGH-Amedisys merger may not go anywhere MedCityNews; by Marissa Plescia; 11/21/24 Experts aren’t sure what the outcome of the DOJ’s recent lawsuit against the proposed UnitedHealth Group/Amedisys merger will be under the incoming Trump administration. The Biden administration has focused more on supporting clinicians, while the previous Trump administration favored corporations. ...  But even aside from the differences in governing philosophy, one expert noted that the main reason for antitrust lawsuits — prices would rise as a result of the transaction, hurting consumers and patients — seems to be missing from the equation here. That’s because of the outsized role Medicare and Medicaid play in the home health industry. ... By acquiring Amedisys, UHG would grow its home health and hospice footprint to five more states, as well as receive 500 additional locations across 32 states it already operates in. The deal would also give UHG control of at least 30% of the home health or hospice services in eight states. ... Will the DOJ succeed? It's hard to say for sure what the outcome of the DOJ’s lawsuit will be, particularly with the change in administration. ... 

The Alliance applauds Gerald’s Law passing through Congress National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance; formerly NAHC and NHPCO); Press Release; 11/19/24 The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) celebrates the historic passage of H.R. 8371, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act in the U.S. House of Representatives last night with a bipartisan vote of 389-9. This landmark legislation includes Section 301, Gerald’s Law, which addresses a critical gap in benefits impacting seriously-ill veterans and their families receiving hospice care. The story of Gerald “Jerry” Elliott, a U.S. Army veteran, underscores the importance of this legislative achievement. Diagnosed with cancer, Jerry was admitted to his local Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital in 2019 before transitioning to VA hospice care at home to be surrounded by his family. After his passing, his family discovered they were ineligible for full burial and funeral financial support because Jerry died outside of a VA facility.

Pennsylvania signs home care, hospice efficiency bills into law McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 11/5/24 Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed into law two bills that will reduce operational challenges and improve recruitment efforts for home care and hospice agencies. House Bill 155 allows healthcare providers, including home care and hospice agencies, to use remote video technology for interviews with direct care workers. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1080 allows licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to pronounce death in home-based hospice settings. These two new laws will make direct care worker recruiting processes more accessible and efficient, while improving end-of-life care for both patients and providers, according to the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. “The signing into law of HB 155 and SB 1080 helps create efficiencies in how we deliver home-based care,” Mia Haney, chief executive officer of PHA, said Friday in a statement. “With a growing demand for these services, efforts such as these allow providers to use their time effectively and focus on what’s most important — quality of care.”

Nebraska voters approve legalization of medical marijuana. Here's what to know USA Today; by Greta Cross; 11/6/2 Medical marijuana is now legal in the state of Nebraska, approved by voters on Tuesday. Two ballot measures dealing with medical marijuana were on the Nebraska ballot. A total of 70.7% of voters approved Initiative Measure 437 and 66.9% of voters approved Initiative Measure 438. Initiative Measure 437 establishes a new statute that will allow the use, possession and acquisition of up to 5 ounces of cannabis for medical purposes by a qualified patient with a written recommendation from a health care practitioner. The statue will also allow for a caregiver to assist a qualified patient with these activities. Initiative Measure 438 establishes a new statute that makes penalties inapplicable under state law for the possession, manufacture, distribution, delivery and dispensing of cannabis for medical purposes by registered private entities. The statute will also establish a Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission to regulate such activities.

Pennsylvania LPNs will now be able to make death pronouncements Tri-State Alert; 11/4/24 A bill sponsored by Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27) was signed into law this week to enable licensed practical nurses (LPNs) working in a hospice setting to make death pronouncements. “I am grateful for the governor’s support of this important legislation,” Culver said. “LPNs are with patients and their families until the moment of death, providing essential care during emotional times. Allowing LPNs to make death pronouncements, which was previously only a function of doctors, RNs, physician assistants, and coroners, can alleviate wait times that grieving families often experience.” The bill was amended in the House of Representatives to also provide needed clarification on the waiver of birth and death certificate fees for members of the armed services, veterans, and their families. The law now outlines specifically whose documents qualify for the waiver, as well as applicants and scenarios for which the fee may be waived.