Issue #1 · August 11, 2026
Our first issue, plus what federal health restructuring could mean for elder care.
Welcome to the very first issue of The Best Hospice and Home Health Brief. We're glad you're here. We started this newsletter because families making hospice and home health decisions deserve a reliable, plain English source of information, not jargon and not sales pitches. So every two weeks, we'll bring you what matters most.
The biggest story we're watching right now isn't a hospice headline per se, but it affects the entire ecosystem that elder care depends on. The Trump administration's ongoing review of federal health programs, including a proposed reorganization of U.S. global health infrastructure, signals a broader appetite for restructuring how government health agencies operate. While the current proposals focus on foreign aid and global programs like PEPFAR and tuberculosis efforts, these kinds of large scale reorganizations have a way of rippling into domestic health policy. When federal health priorities shift, staffing pipelines, research funding, and regulatory attention shift with them. For families relying on Medicare funded hospice and home health services, it's worth keeping an eye on how these changes play out in the months ahead.
On the domestic policy front, things have been relatively quiet on the hospice and home health regulatory front this summer, which is not unusual for August. But CMS is expected to finalize its hospice payment rule for fiscal year 2027 in the coming weeks, and that will have real implications for the providers families depend on. We'll cover that the moment it drops.
Late summer is one of the most common times families begin having serious conversations about hospice and home health care. The reasons are practical: adult children visit aging parents during vacation, notice changes they hadn't seen over video calls, and realize that something needs to shift. If that's you right now, you are not alone, and you are not late.
One thing to be aware of as you start exploring options is that not all hospice providers offer the same level of service, even within the same city. Some provide robust aide visits, chaplain support, and after hours nursing. Others meet only the bare minimums required by Medicare. Before you choose a provider, ask specifically how many aide hours per week they typically offer, whether they have nurses available around the clock, and what happens if your loved one needs crisis care on a weekend. These questions can make an enormous difference in the experience your family has.
Since this is our first issue, let's start with the single most important financial fact about hospice care in the United States: if your loved one has Medicare Part A and qualifies for hospice, the Medicare Hospice Benefit covers virtually all costs related to the terminal diagnosis. That includes nursing visits, aide services, medications for symptom management, medical equipment like hospital beds and oxygen, and even bereavement support for the family after a loved one passes. The out of pocket cost to families is minimal. For most services, there is no copay at all. For outpatient drugs related to the terminal illness, there may be a small copay of up to $5 per prescription. For inpatient respite care, which gives family caregivers a short break, Medicare requires a copay of about 5% of the Medicare approved rate, which currently works out to roughly $32 per day.
Here is the catch that surprises many families: when someone elects the Medicare Hospice Benefit, they are agreeing to shift the focus of care from curative treatment to comfort care for the terminal condition. That means Medicare will no longer pay for treatments aimed at curing the terminal illness, though it still covers care for other unrelated conditions. This is a significant decision, and it's one that deserves a thorough conversation with your loved one's physician and the hospice team before signing any paperwork.
We built Best Hospice and Home Health because finding trustworthy care for someone you love should not feel like a second job. Our service is completely free for families, always. We connect you with verified hospice and home health providers in your area and help you understand your options without any pressure. If this newsletter was helpful, we'd be grateful if you forwarded it to a friend, a coworker, or a family member who might be facing these decisions. Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do for someone is point them toward the right information at the right time.