Issue #2 · July 21, 2026
How artificial intelligence and hidden hospital prices could affect your loved one's care.
Two big conversations are shaping healthcare right now, and both matter for families dealing with elder care. First, artificial intelligence is moving fast into everyday medicine. Stanford's Dr. Michelle Mello, who co-leads the university's Healthcare Ethical Assessment Lab for AI, has been raising important questions about how we set guardrails for these tools. For hospice and home health, AI is already showing up in predictive models that help determine when a patient might qualify for hospice, in scheduling software for home health aides, and in clinical documentation tools that nurses use during visits. The technology holds real promise, but the rules governing it are still being written, and families deserve to know when AI is playing a role in their loved one's care decisions.
Meanwhile, a recent analysis highlighted by KFF's Larry Levitt reminds us that hospital prices deserve far more attention than they get. We hear constantly about the cost of prescription drugs, and for good reason. But hospitals accounted for 40% of the growth in national health spending from 2022 to 2024. That's enormous. For families coordinating elder care, this matters because hospital stays often trigger the transition to hospice or home health services. A single hospitalization can create financial strain that follows a family for months, and understanding what drives those costs can help you ask better questions and advocate more effectively for your loved one.
If your loved one is receiving home health or hospice care, pay attention to how their providers are using new technology, especially AI-powered tools. Some agencies have started using AI to help with care planning, symptom monitoring, and even staffing decisions. These tools can genuinely improve care when used well. But you have every right to ask questions. When a care plan changes or a visit schedule shifts, it is completely fair to ask whether that recommendation came from a clinician's judgment, an algorithm, or some combination of the two. A good provider will welcome the question.
This is also a good time to remind yourself that COVID-19 has not disappeared. Global tracking data continues to show ongoing transmission, and summer travel season means more potential exposure. If your family member is in hospice or receiving home health services, their immune system may be compromised. Ask visiting caregivers about their health protocols. Make sure anyone entering the home understands the risks. A simple conversation now can prevent a serious complication later.
Let's talk about one of the most common financial surprises families face: the cost of a hospital stay right before transitioning to hospice. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care, but it comes with a deductible of $1,632 per benefit period in 2026. If your loved one has been in and out of the hospital, that deductible can reset, meaning you could owe it more than once in a single year. Once a patient elects the Medicare Hospice Benefit, hospice care itself is covered with very little out of pocket cost. There are no deductibles for hospice. Families may pay a copay of no more than $5 for each prescription drug related to the terminal illness, and there can be a modest daily copay for inpatient respite care, but that is capped as well.
The key takeaway is this: the financial burden tends to pile up before hospice begins, not after. If your loved one is cycling through hospital admissions and you sense that curative treatment may no longer be helping, having an honest conversation with their doctor about hospice eligibility could save your family thousands of dollars while also improving your loved one's comfort and quality of life. Those two things are not in conflict. They often go hand in hand.
We know these decisions feel heavy, and we want you to know that you are not doing this alone. Best Hospice and Home Health exists to connect families with verified hospice and home care providers across the country, and our service is completely free for families. If you are starting to wonder whether it is time to explore hospice or home health for someone you love, reach out to us and we will help you understand your options. And if this newsletter has been useful to you, please share it with a friend, a neighbor, or a coworker who might be going through something similar. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do for someone is point them toward the right information at the right time.