CMS Posts the FY 2027 Home Health PPS Rate Update and Quality Reporting Proposed Rule
HospiceConsultant.com; by Guest Editor Judi Lund Person; 7/1/26
On July 1, 2026, the FY 2027 Home Health proposed rule was posted in the Federal Register. Among the proposals included in this proposed rule includes a proposal to promote access to and use of community-based palliative care services through the Medicare home health benefit. In the proposed rule’s fact sheet, CMS states that “skilled palliative care services can be furnished and billed under existing Medicare home health benefits for eligible patients with serious illnesses. The agency emphasizes that palliative care under the home health benefit is separate from hospice care and may support patients earlier in the course of serious illness.  Comments on the proposed rule are due on August 31, 2026.

The Alliance responds to the CY 2027 Home Health Proposed Rule 
National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 7/1/26 
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) today responded to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System Proposed rule. CMS proposes an overall increase of 2.4% or $420 million in payments to home health agencies for 2027, a positive step made possible in part by the Alliance’s ongoing advocacy for the sustainability of the home health benefit. However, the application of a 3.0% temporary adjustment continues to be of concern and could jeopardize access to care in the home. 

CMS creates new health tech office to lead interoperability efforts, digital products 
Fierce Healthcare; by Heather Landi; 6/15/26 
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to play a bigger role in health tech modernization efforts, including leading interoperability initiatives. The agency created a new Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP) to provide "enterprise leadership and oversight for CMS healthcare technology modernization, digital products and transformation of platforms and services supporting Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other CMS-administered programs," according to a notice in the Federal Register published on June 11. The new health tech-focused office will work in close coordination with the CMS Chief Information Officer (CIO) and will lead enterprise strategy for artificial intelligence, interoperability, digital product development, Medicare.gov, provider directories and claims system modernization, according to the notice. The office consists of eight divisions and the notice lists more than 90 responsibilities.
Editor's Note: Examine the detailed Federal Register's "Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority"

Indiana's Saint Anne eldercare campus opens hospice suites to provide holistic end-of-life care 
Catholic Health World; by Julie Minda; 6/30/16 
Saint Anne Communities, an eldercare campus in northeast Indiana, has opened a five-suite wing that offers people at the end of life holistic care and services. In the Saint Joseph Hospice Suites, staff provide medical, spiritual and emotional care to residents as well as support to their loved ones. Facility leaders said Saint Anne designed the suites to have a homelike feel. They said a key priority is to surround the residents and their loved ones with prayer, comfort and dignity.

AI, hospice fraud crackdown & medicare’s future—the biggest healthcare stories of 2026| part one 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Cordt Kassner; 7/1/26 
In this quarterly edition of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, host Chris Comeaux is joined by healthcare strategist Cordt Kassner to unpack the biggest healthcare stories shaping 2026.  Together, they examine the trends every healthcare executive should be watching—from the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and workforce transformation to increasing regulatory scrutiny, quality measurement, Medicare reform, and the financial realities facing hospice providers.  Using Dr. Ira Byock’s strategic framework as their guide, they move beyond headlines to explore what these developments mean for the future of care. The conversation also tackles larger questions facing the healthcare system.  

Nancy Streber Memorial Golf Classic raises more than $10,000, surpasses $200,000 lifetime milestone 
Tri-County Times, Davison, MI; Press Release; 7/1/26 
Davison The 29th Annual Nancy Streber Memorial Golf Classic, held May 9 at Heather Hills Golf Course in Romeo, Mich., raised more than $10,000 in support of McLaren Hospice's compassionate end-of-life care services. Founded by Dave Streber and his family, the golf outing was established to honor the memory of his mother, Nancy Streber, while also recognizing the compassionate care his grandfather received as a McLaren patient. With this year's contribution, the event has now raised more than $200,000 over its 29-year history in support of McLaren Hospice a remarkable milestone made possible through decades of community support and dedication to hospice care.

Judge bars San Antonio hospice from using Magnolia name for now
San Antonio Express-News; by Patrick Danner; 7/1/26 
A federal judge has temporarily barred a San Antonio hospice provider from using its current name, concluding the company likely is infringing on a Texas hospice’s federally registered trademark.U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez issued the preliminary injunction against Magnolia Hospice Company Inc. of San Antonio after finding its nearly identical name had caused confusion among patients and health care providers while the businesses marketed the same hospice services in overlapping markets. Tuesday’s order stems from a lawsuit filed by RHI Magnolia of North Texas LLC, which has operated in the state under the Magnolia Hospice name for more than a decade and obtained a federal trademark registration in 2024. [Access to the article may be limited by a paywall.]

Hospice sues Medicare over denied claims worth over $1 million 
Bloomberg Law; by Ganny Belloni; 7/1/26 
An Arizona hospice group is suing Medicare alleging the program arbitrarily denied hundreds of claims for palliative care services. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas by Infinity Hospice Care claims that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, through its private claims processor, denied over 200 claims for hospice services worth over $1 million after audits found the services didn’t meet the Medicare Administrative Contractor’s payment criteria. [Full access may be limited by a paywall.]

Advance Care Planning documentation completeness and end-of-life care: trends and associations using HRS 2010-2022 data 
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Zhigang Xie, PhD, MPA, Jiaming Liang, PhD, and Molly Jacobs, PhD, MS; 6/16/26 
Objectives: This study examined additive associations between comprehensive advance care planning (ACP) documentation and end-of-life care (EOL) outcomes among older adults in the United States. ...
Results: About 42.7% decedents had two documents and 28.9% had none, documentation increased substantially around 2014. ... Associations were stronger among decedents with expected death and attenuated among those with unexpected death.

Carolina Caring Community Counseling Program expands services to anyone who has experienced loss 
Carolina Caring, Newton, NC; Press Release; 7/1/26 
For many individuals, addressing the mental health concerns tied to grief and loss can feel overwhelming, complicated, or out of reach. Recognizing the profound impact that loss can have on one’s wellbeing, Carolina Caring has expanded a Community Counseling Program to support individuals who have experienced a major loss of any kind. ... Traditionally, organizations like Carolina Caring provide bereavement services to families of hospice patients for up to 13 months. But the Community Counseling Program is different from this traditional model. Through the expansion, the Community Counseling Program redefines what it means to provide compassionate care to the whole person, both physically and emotionally.

1997-2007: 250 Years - A History of Care
Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 7/2/26
Read details and explore source link

• Trauma, Responsibility, and the Pursuit of Human Dignity
  
  
• Hospice Grows Up
  
  
• From Hospice to Hospital Halls: Palliative Care Finds Its Name
  
  
• From Experience to Evidence and Education

Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try. For one thing we know beyond all doubt: Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, ‘It can’t be done.’ ~ Eleanor Roosevelt