Literature Review

Mandated time off for bereavement gaining ground Altoona, PA; by Sarah Boden; 2/10/25 When his father died from COVID-19 in 2020, James Gerraughty didn’t have to choose between working and grieving. That’s because his employer provides three days of paid bereavement for the death of a parent. This gave Gerraughty enough time to drive from the Altoona area to Buffalo, New York, to collect his dad’s remains. ... Not everyone is so lucky. Pennsylvania doesn’t have a universal bereavement leave policy. Employers offer it at their discretion, meaning many workers can experience the death of a loved one but not get time off. Other states have filled this gap in labor law, to varying degrees. California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington all mandate some form of bereavement leave. ... It takes time to process a death. So not being able to take off work can threaten a person’s mental health and livelihood, said Nisha Bowman, a social worker in Pittsburgh for Monarch Hospice.[Click on the title's link to continue reading.] Editor's note: For national advocacy for bereavement care, examine Evermore.org.

End-of-life-care option bill in New Hampshire stirs conversation on deathMonadnock Ledger-Transcript, Peterborough, NH; by Sruthi Gopalakrishnan; 2/4/25 At age 75, Rep Bob Lynn says he loves life. But he knows he’s no “spring chicken” and his days are finite. The former chief justice of the state Supreme Court is the prime sponsor of House Bill 254, known as “The New Hampshire End of Life Freedom Act,” which gives terminally ill adults the choice to take control of their final days and end their own life with a dose of lethal medication. ... If the legislation passes, terminally ill individuals aged 18 and over with a prognosis of less than six months to live will be able to receive medications to end their lives on their own terms. It comes with a long list of requirements that two health care providers must verify, including that they have healthy mental capacity, are aware of alternative options and are competent to self-administer the drugs. Opponents warned it could encourage suicide, be misused and send a harmful message that people with disabilities are a burden. ... Michelle Flynn, a retired internal medicine physician from Bedford, said allowing terminally ill patients to end their lives opens the door to death as a treatment option. ... Lisa Beaudoin of Temple, founder of Strategies for Disability Equity, worries it would worsen the discrimination disabled people already face in health care. 

DEA proposed telemedicine prescribing rule could burden hospice physicians and hospice operations Morgan Lewis, Washington, DC; by Howard J. Young, Jacob J. Harper, and Roshni Edalur; 1/27/25 Signaling a possible future approach to regulating Schedule II-V prescribing via telemedicine in lieu of in-person examinations, on January 17 the DEA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding its next iteration of controlled substance prescribing controls. With comments due March 18, 2025, the Proposed Rule is not subject to the Trump administration’s executive order freeze on new proposed regulations. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Policy priorities for the first 100 daysC-TAC press release; 1/20/25The first 100 days of the Trump Administration and 119th Congress offer a pivotal opportunity to enact bold policies that improve the quality of care for individuals with serious illness while reducing overall healthcare costs. By addressing key policy priorities, we can create a healthcare system that delivers better outcomes for patients and families. C-TAC calls on policymakers to act now to advance solutions in the following areas:

New telehealth rules: 5 takeaways on temporary flexibilities for 2025 Becker's ASC Review; in collaboration with Coronis Health; 1/21/25 With the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, certain telehealth flexibilities initially introduced during the public health emergency (PHE) era have been extended. These provisions, however, are only authorized through March 31, 2025. A Jan. 9 blog post by Coronis Health breaks down what the extensions mean for telehealth providers and patients, what services and features were left out and why certain changes could become permanent in 2025. Five takeaways:

California system, nonprofits pause lawsuit alleging $1B in misuse Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 1/6/25 The lawsuit alleging Fresno, Calif.-based Community Health System misused $1 billion in tax dollars has been paused until June while the health system and the nonprofit plaintiffs negotiate privately, Fresnoland reported Jan. 6. Community Health System, Cultiva La Salud and Fresno Building Healthy Communities jointly filed a stipulation on Dec. 23 requesting the court to stay the case, which Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Culver Kapetan approved Dec. 30, according to Fresnoland. The stay halts legal proceedings. The two nonprofit organizations filed the lawsuit in August, alleging the health system misused $1 billion in tax dollars intended to serve low-income patients.

Here are new state healthcare laws taking effect in 2025Modern Healthcare;by Hayley Desilva;1/2/25 Providers and insurers in several states will have to grapple with health-related laws taking effect in 2025. Most of the legislation concerns reproductive care and insurance coverage. Here are some of the laws affecting healthcare this year. [States include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pensylvania, and Washington.]

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. 

[KY] Attorney General Russell Coleman files lawsuit against Optum Rx for role in opioid epidemic Northern Kentucky Tribune - Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism; 12/1/24 The Kentucky Attorney General’s Office has announced its latest lawsuit against a corporation behind the worst man-made epidemic in modern medical history. Attorney General Russell Coleman added Optum Rx and its affiliates to the list of those responsible for the opioid crisis. ... According to the Attorney General’s lawsuit, Optum Rx played a central role in the reckless promotion, dispensing, and oversupply of opioids. ... “Defendants have hidden their conduct through non-transparent business practices and by requiring each entity with whom they conduct business, such as opioid manufacturers, to enter into confidentiality agreements or otherwise keep their agreements confidential,” said the lawsuit. “No state has been harder hit by the drug crisis than Kentucky. Last year alone, nearly 2,000 Kentuckians died of a drug overdose,” Attorney General Coleman said. “These groups pushed a profit-fueled agenda at the expense of Kentucky families, who are left with empty seats at the dinner table. Our Office will continue to hold those behind the drug crisis accountable for their devastating actions.”

Dole Act could give veterans greater access to hospice, palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 11/26/24 The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, currently winding its way through Congress, would likely increase access to hospice and palliative care for veterans, if enacted. The omnibus veterans’ benefits reform bill contains two provisions in particular that could influence hospice and palliative care utilization. First, it contains language from Gerald’s Law, as well as clauses that would allow veterans to use their benefits to enter PACE programs. The bill recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now will go to the Senate. A reasonable chance exists that the bill will be approved by both chambers this year, according to Madison Summers, manager of public affairs for the National Alliance for Care at Home. 

West Virginia voters narrowly approve state constitutional ban on physician-assisted suicide WVNews - West Virginia's News; by Steven Adams; 11/7/24 An amendment to West Virginia’s constitution to prohibit physician-assisted suicide — already illegal in the state — managed to squeak through after Tuesday’s election with just enough votes, though the vote was a statistical tie. According to unofficial election results posted by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, Amendment 1 passed, with 335,822 votes (50.5%) for and 329,742 against (49.5%) — a difference of 6,080 votes. The West Virginia Legislature adopted House Joint Resolution 28 during the 2024 regular session earlier this year. The joint resolution placed on the November general election ballot a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban medically-assisted suicide and/or euthanasia.  

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.