Issue #1 · April 7, 2026
Big shifts in Medicaid funding could affect your family's care options this year.
Welcome to the very first issue of The Best Hospice and Home Health Brief. We're glad you're here, and we promise to keep these short, useful, and free of jargon.
The biggest story affecting families right now is the shifting ground under Medicaid. California is working through how to implement new work requirements for Medicaid recipients while simultaneously dealing with major state budget shortfalls and cuts to federal Medicaid funding. That might sound like a policy story happening far away from your family's kitchen table, but Medicaid is one of the largest payers for long term care in the country. It covers nursing home stays, home health aides, and in many states, hospice services for people who qualify. When Medicaid budgets get squeezed, families feel it in the form of fewer available providers, longer wait times for home care, and more out of pocket costs.
At the same time, health care is shaping up to be a central issue in the 2026 midterm elections. KFF polling consistently shows that the cost of health care ranks among voters' top economic concerns. For families caring for aging loved ones, that tracks. The cost of care is personal and urgent, and it's worth paying attention to which candidates are talking seriously about Medicare, Medicaid, and home health funding as campaign season heats up.
If your family relies on Medicaid to help cover home health or hospice services, keep a close eye on your state's response to federal funding changes over the next few months. States have a lot of discretion in how they administer Medicaid, and budget pressures at both the federal and state level can lead to changes in eligibility, covered services, or provider reimbursement rates. When reimbursement rates drop, some home health agencies stop accepting Medicaid patients altogether, which can leave families scrambling to find care.
The practical step here is simple. If you have a loved one currently receiving Medicaid funded home health or hospice care, confirm with the provider that they still accept Medicaid and ask whether any changes are expected. If you're in the process of applying for Medicaid for a family member, don't delay. Processing times can stretch to several months in some states, and getting an application in now gives you a buffer if eligibility rules tighten later this year.
Let's talk about something that confuses a lot of families: the difference between what Medicare covers for home health and what it covers for hospice. They sound similar, but they work very differently.
Medicare covers home health services, such as skilled nursing, physical therapy, and some aide visits, when a doctor certifies that the patient is homebound and needs skilled care. There is no cost to the patient for these services as long as the home health agency accepts Medicare assignment, which most do. Hospice is a separate Medicare benefit that kicks in when a physician certifies a patient has a terminal illness with a life expectancy of six months or less. Under the Medicare hospice benefit, nearly all costs related to the terminal illness are covered, including medications, medical equipment, nursing visits, social work, chaplain services, and bereavement support for the family. Patients pay nothing for hospice services except a small copay for outpatient prescription drugs, which is capped at five dollars per medication. The key tradeoff is that when a patient elects hospice, they agree to stop pursuing curative treatment for their terminal diagnosis. That's a big decision, and it's one that families should make with full information and without time pressure whenever possible.
We started Best Hospice and Home Health because finding the right care for someone you love should not feel like a second job. Our service is completely free for families. We connect you with verified hospice and home care providers in your area, and we help you understand your options without any sales pitch or pressure. If this newsletter was helpful, we'd be grateful if you forwarded it to a friend, a coworker, or anyone in your life who is caring for an aging parent or loved one. Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do for someone is point them toward the right information at the right time.