2025 December Coffee Chat-December 2025 Slides

Pdf Summary

The HMDCB Annual December Coffee Chat, led by Alan S. Rozen, MD, reflected on the board's activities and developments throughout 2025 and anticipated upcoming changes in 2026. In 2025, HMDCB held frequent monthly webinars and coffee chats covering diverse topics such as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) in hospice, pediatric hospice care, anticipatory care planning, and evolving end-of-life issues like the use of cannabis and diabetes management. Collaborative sessions included fellows and co-hosted events.<br /><br />Regulatory updates were discussed, notably the continued uncertainty in telehealth policies delayed until 2026, potential changes to face-to-face visit requirements, and legislation like the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA). A major focus for 2026 is the implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool, which will replace the Hospice Item Set (HIS) for quality data collection starting October 1, 2025. HOPE gathers real-time patient and family care data at several time points to better inform care planning and quality measurement.<br /><br />The session also covered practical questions from participants, such as the rarity of providing respite care at home due to CMS reimbursement rules, and detailed explanations of the regulatory context for various hospice levels of care. Another key discussion was the value of the HMDC credential, including its validation by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS), which now supports primary verification of subspecialty certifications in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, enhancing credence and professional recognition.<br /><br />Looking ahead, HMDCB plans bi-monthly sessions and a Hospice Super Forum in November 2026. Additional activities include participation in the AAHPM Virtual Career Fair and preparations for the upcoming Annual Assembly in March 2026. Overall, the year-end chat emphasized collaboration, regulatory adaptation, and professional development within the hospice and palliative medicine community.

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Keywords

HMDCB Annual December Coffee Chat

Alan S. Rozen MD

2025 hospice developments

2026 hospice changes

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)

pediatric hospice care

telehealth policy updates

Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA)

Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool

National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) validation

HMDCB

Telehealth

Medicare Hospice Benefit

Hope

Face-to-Face Visit