Literature Review

Hospice claim denial remanded to ALJ in absence of explanation, (Aug 4, 2025) VItalLaw; by Leah S. Poniatowski, JD; 8/4/25 ... A hospice provider that was denied Medicare reimbursement for two patients was granted remand to the administrative law judge (ALJ) because the ALJ’s decision was without any reasoned discussion, which impaired review and suggested that the ALJ had used her lay assessment of the medical record, the federal district court in Delaware ruled (Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care of Delaware, LLC v. Kennedy, No. 24-175-GBW-LDH (D. Del. July 31, 2025)).

Social Media Watch 8/8/25

State Medicaid coverage policies for community-based palliative care: Lessons from NASHP’s State Institute National Academy for State Health Policy; by Ella Taggart, Wendy Fox-Grage; 8/11/25 Six states recently participated in NASHP’s two-year State Policy Institute to Improve Care for People with Serious Illness (the Institute): Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. ... Specifically, the six participating states received guidance on policy mechanisms to cover palliative care services in the community and completed cost analysis on palliative care services for Medicaid beneficiaries. While all the states balanced the same forces and demands, ... each state modeled a benefit that was responsive to its particular needs and circumstances. ... CBIZ Optumas and TFA Analytics then designed a cost calculator for each state to help with different scenarios. 

CU School of Medicine receives $64 million NIH award to establish palliative care research consortiumUniversity of Colorado School of Medicine press release; by Kara Mason; 8/7/25The five-year award supports CU School of Medicine faculty at the forefront of research dedicated to improving quality of life for people living with serious illnesses. The University of Colorado School of Medicine has been selected as the prime award institution for a $64 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a consortium focused on palliative care research. “While palliative care as a field has advanced significantly in the last few decades, there are still a lot of unmet needs. This consortium will serve as a springboard for filling gaps and offering resources to researchers who will ultimately improve the field,” says Jean Kutner, MD, MSPH, distinguished professor of medicine and chief academic officer of UCHealth, who will serve as a principal investigator of the Advancing the Science of Palliative Care Research Across the Lifespan (ASCENT) Consortium... The consortium includes principal investigators from the CU School of Medicine and four other academic centers across the country — New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Duke University School of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania — and 40 key personnel from more than 20 institutions, representing the interdisciplinary approach that is integral to palliative care... The ASCENT Consortium’s creation comes at a critical juncture for palliative care research, as two vital programs — the National Institute of Nursing Research-funded Palliative Care Research Cooperative, which Kutner led at the CU School of Medicine for 13 years, and the National Palliative Care Research Center — have been expected to sunset in 2025... “We've gone from publishing observational and cross-sectional work to where we are today with demonstrating effective and innovative interventions,” Kutner says.

SHPBest CAHPS Hospice Awards Strategic Healthcare Programs; retrieved from the internet 8/725 The annual SHPBest™ program was created to acknowledge hospice providers that consistently provide high quality service to families and caregivers of patients receiving hospice care. With one of the largest CAHPS Hospice benchmarks in the nation, SHP is in a unique position to identify and recognize organizations that have made family and caregiver experience a priority and have been rewarded for their efforts with high marks on the CAHPS Hospice survey. See the full list of award winners for the last calendar year.

CMS Final Rules for 2026: Becker's SummariesBecker's has posted summaries and links to the complete rules for the following categories. These provide great comparisons and cross-referencing between different systems across the continuum of care.

Medicare Advantage growth drives changes in post-acute care Managed Healthcare Executive; by Briana Contreras; 7/28/25 A new report released today by Trella Health revealed major shifts are underway in post-acute care as Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment grows, care transitions evolve and providers navigate the challenges of value-based care. The Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report looked at national and state-level trends in home health, hospice and skilled nursing using the latest Medicare claims and enrollment data. One of the most significant shifts is the continued rise of MA enrollment. The report shared that as of February 2025, more than half of Medicare beneficiaries (55.4%) are enrolled in MA plans, with 30 states reporting MA enrollment over 50%. This shift is changing how patients access care—more so in home health.

Why terminal cancer patients still receive aggressive treatment MedPageToday; by M. Bennet Broner; 7/31/25 Recently, researchers examined whether there had been any changes in the way terminal cancer patients died from 2014 to 2019, given the increased information available on hospice, palliative care, and advanced end-of-life planning (EOLP). They asked whether those who were terminal continued aggressive treatment until their demise. The authors anticipated a decrease in this, but found that the frequency of cancer patients who continued aggressive therapy had not declined. The study did not examine decision-making. Still, the researchers, based on other studies, theorized that the lack of change resulted from a confluence of physician and patient factors. ... [Physicians] might predict a more optimistic prognosis than justified, avoid discussing EOLP, support (over)intensive treatment, and/or overemphasize treatment effectiveness while minimizing its side effects. Oftentimes, given their statements, physicians will offer treatments they know to be of little value, believing that patients expect them to propose something rather than admit there was nothing realistic left to offer.Editor's Note: Pair this with our recent post, Doctors’ own end-of-life choices defy common medical practice.

After losing his wife, 92-year-old man turns grief into comfort for other Spectrum News 1 - Greece, NY; by Seth Voorhees; 8/4/25 The loss of a spouse can be devastating. A Rochester area man is turning his personal grief into comfort for others. The gesture has special meaning for families of people in hospice care. Howard Jones has always dabbled in art. At 92, the Kodak retiree has made painting his full-time job. ... [His wife through 68 years,] Estella spent her final weeks at Hildebrandt Hospice Care Center, where staff noticed Howard Jones would pass the time by painting rocks. Someone told him the story of the cardinal, and how some believe their appearance is a sign that a departed loved one is near.  ... [Now, he paints] “every day, eight hours a day,” said Jones. ... “It’s all a matter of getting the bird to look right,” he said. ... “My hope is always that when someone takes one of the stones out of the basket, they can feel the emotion that went into painting it,” said Jones. Since he began keeping track in February, Howard Jones says he’s painted over 500 cardinals. “And that's kept me going,” he said.Editor's Note: This demonstrates beautifully the "instrumental style of grieving" (identified by Ken Doka and Terry Martin in Grieving Beyond Gender) where men (and women) tend to grieve through actively doing something, in contrast to verbal and emotional expression. We described this more in our post, To Be or To Do? Women and Men's different styles of grieving.

Study reveals how medication side effects can lead to dangerous medication cycles in adults 65+ McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/31/25 When doctors treat drug side effects as new illnesses, older adults may be prescribed even more medications — a cycle known as a “prescribing cascade.” A new study says this prescribing cycle can increase the risk of harm. Guest Editor's Note, Drew Mihaylo, PharmD: Practicing clinical vigilance regarding medication utilization is essential at any stage of illness. Prescribing cascades are common, under-recognized and often harmful. Approaching the emotional topic of medication change must be done with compassion and sensitivity tied to patient specific goals of care. Creativity to this end has been a focus of mine for sometime now as a clinical pharmacist serving serious illness patients nationally.

Closing the gap: Addressing social determinants of health and racial disparities in hospice care Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Alyson Cutshall; 8/4/25... While Americans’ health trajectories are inevitable at the time they become eligible for hospice services, SDOH (Social Determinants of Health) still play a major role for the patients and families our field is privileged to serve. ... [To] fully impact health equity, we must be cognizant of other examples of SDOH, such as racism and implicit bias.  Unfortunately, our collective field has not been as successful in addressing access to hospice care across differing racial and ethnic groups. ... Certainly, there are some pockets of improved access.  One Teleios member organization, Ancora Compassionate Care, recognized the alarming disparities within its community and set about to create change. Ancora leaders recognized that the Black community in their service area typically placed high trust in their religious leaders. To better understand their needs and preferences regarding end-of-life care and services, Ancora embarked on a "listening tour" to gather feedback and insights from these religious leaders. Using the wisdom imparted, Ancora adapted their care delivery to be more inclusive to the Black community.  As such, the organization is making incremental improvements in lessening the racial divide in access to hospice care.

The path to the future may be the un-obvious: Top news stories, July 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 8/6/25 The future of hospice care hangs in the balance as providers navigate a perfect storm of challenges and opportunities. From financial pressures closing hospice houses to unprecedented Medicare fraud schemes, from technological disruption to changing consumer expectations – the hospice field stands at a critical inflection point that demands both reflection and action. Join hosts Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner as they delve into the latest trends and challenges in Hospice and Palliative Care, discussing key trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the field. This episode covers a wide range of topics, including the impact of healthcare layoffs, disruptive innovations, and the importance of disaster preparedness. 

Hospice Honors 2025 - 2025 CAHPS Honors and Honors Elite Award winnersMatrixCare by ResMed; retrieved from the internet 7/29/25 214 CAHPS Honors and 53 Elite Award Winners are listed. These national recognitions are presented by HealthCare First, a part of MatrixCare. These awards are based on satisfaction scores from the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey. "Honors Elite" status is awarded to those hospices that score above the national performance score on 100%, or all twenty four, of the evaluated questions. Editor's Note: We celebrate these significant achievements and thank you for the quality, expert care you provide each day!