Attorney General Bonta dismantles Los Angeles hospice fraud ring responsible for $267 million in fraud, 21 charged 
Office of the Attorney General California Department of Justice - Rob Bonta, Los Angeles, CA; Press Release; 4/9/26 
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), today announced charges filed against 21 suspects and the dismantling of a major hospice fraud scheme that defrauded California of $267 million. Operation Skip Trace resulted in the arrest of five people after ten different locations were searched in Southern California. Not a single legitimate hospice service was ever provided. In addition, two handguns and over $757,000 in cash were seized. “This isn’t a political game for us. This is about protecting taxpayer dollars, protecting the programs that sick and vulnerable Californians rely on, and protecting our state,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Reminder: National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16, 2026 
Compilation by Hospice & Palliative Care Today; 4/10/26 
National Healthcare Decisions Day (April 16, 2026) is a nationwide initiative that encourages individuals to reflect on and communicate their healthcare preferences—especially for times when they may not be able to speak for themselves. It promotes meaningful conversations, advance care planning, and the completion of documents like advance directives to ensure care aligns with what matters most. Multiple resources are below:

• The Conversation Project
• Make your advance care plans
• Download free Conversation Guides
• Hospice Foundation of America
• Advance Care Planning
• Five Wishes® CE Courses
• PBS, Being Mortal Documentary
• National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation

State associations urge CMS to forgo potential national hospice enrollment moratorium 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/10/26 
A group of state hospice associations have expressed mounting concerns that a rumored national moratorium prohibiting new provider enrollments could adversely affect access. A letter to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was recently penned by the Florida Hospice & Palliative Care Association (FHPCA), the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina (AHHC of NC) and the South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association (SCHCHA). A national moratorium, if enacted, would impact the ability for legitimate hospices to provide quality care during a time of rising demand, said FHPCA President and CEO Paul Ledford and Tim Rogers, president and CEO of SCHCHA and AHHC of NC. 

How a $64 million NIH grant will transform palliative care across lifespan | part two 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Dr. Jean Kutner; 4/8/26 
Moving beyond theory, this episode dives into what success actually looks like—more diverse research collaboration, stronger mentorship pipelines, and measurable translation of evidence into real-world clinical practice.  The discussion highlights a critical shift: building a system where research and care continuously inform one another to improve outcomes for patients with serious illness. Looking ahead, Dr. Kutner paints a compelling vision of a more seamless, equitable care continuum—one that begins earlier in the disease trajectory and extends across all stages of life.

A Phoenix-area hospice provider seeks Chapter 11 protection 
WhatNow; by Twinkle Jha; 4/10/26 
Supportive Hands Hospice Inc., based in Phoenix, AZ has filed for bankruptcy as it works to restructure its finances. Proceedings officially began on April 9, 2026, with a voluntary petition filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona. The healthcare business’ case is now expected to move through standard bankruptcy procedures, which include required filings and creditor actions.

Art Dash draws crowd, raises funds for Oregon’s Serenity Hospice and Home 
Shaw Local News, Oregon, IL; Press Release4/10/26 
The fifth annual Art Dash benefiting Serenity Hospice and Home was held April 8 at River’s Edge Experience, drawing more than 200 attendees for an evening of art, community, and philanthropy. ... Serenity CEO Suzanne Ravlin reflected on the event’s impact: “The Art Dash brings together art, community, and fundraising, but it has become much more. It is a celebration of generosity, connection, and the incredible impact we can make when we come together with purpose. Each piece of art tells a story – of humanity, love, struggle, beauty, and the moments that matter most. 

Connecting palliative care and age‑friendly care to support what matters most 
Institute for Healthcare Improvement; by Marian Grant; 4/8/26 
... The 4Ms Framework of an Age-Friendly Health System identifies the core subjects that should drive the care of older adults. The 4Ms (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility) align with the approach of palliative care teams and are part of their comprehensive assessment. Age-friendly leaders and team members can use the expertise of palliative care colleagues to implement the 4Ms. 
Editor's Note: Click here for a great graphic of this "4Ms Framework." It states, "For related work, this graphic may be used in its entirety without requesting permission. Graphic files and guidance at www.ihi.org/AgeFriendly.

New measure likely to relax antipsychotic prescribing for certain hospice patients 
McKnights Home Care; by John Roszkowski; 4/8/26 
Appropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to hospice patients no longer will negatively affect skilled nursing facilities’ quality ratings under a new federal rule change, potentially opening the door for SNFs to accept more hospice patients. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently revised its Long-Stay Antipsychotic Quality measure to exclude residents receiving hospice services from the measure denominator for quality reporting. As a result, antipsychotic use for hospice residents will not influence a SNF’s Five-Star Quality Measure score.

Improving quality for gender-diverse hospice patients 
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 4/8/26 
Various factors impede the ability of transgender and gender-diverse individuals to receive goal-concordant care at the end of life. Individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community often face greater risks of privacy violations, cultural suppression, disrespect and trauma compared to others, according to Amanda Monteiro, palliative care social worker at Mount Sinai Hospital. ... LGBTQIA+ individuals are often referred to hospice or palliative care later in their disease trajectories compared to others, according to Dr. Alexis Drutchas, palliative care physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. ... Clinicians need better tools to help guide end-of-life conversations with gender-diverse patients and their loved ones, said Dr. Ramón Rodriguez, palliative care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Editor's Note: For a definitive, groundbreaking resource, examine LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care : A Practical Guide to Transforming Professional Practice, by Kimberly D. Acquiva. 

Oregon governor signs Hospice Licensure Bill (SB 1575)  
LegiScan - Bringing People to the Process; by Oregon Senate Bill 1575; 4/7/26
New law bars individuals excluded from Medicare/Medicaid or found liable for fraud from holding ownership interest in a hospice program. 

Managing clinical uncertainty 
Baylor College of Medicine; by Dr. Avni M. Kapadia and Dr. Hannah L. Kirsch; 4/10/26 
In the day-to-day routine of critical care physicians, end-of-life care and medical ethics are frequently incorporated into comprehensive care plans. What happens when the laws impede the ability to honor family wishes? ... Recent ethical debates surrounding the care of brain-dead or severely neurologically injured pregnant patients highlight growing tension between clinical ethics and public policy. These cases are medically complex and emotionally devastating for families. But cases involving pregnancy and severe neurological injury also are especially difficult for the medical team. 

The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive. We evolved on the same planet, and we have some shared things about how we love and live that are just universal. ~ Christina Koch, Artemis II NASA astronaut, from the far side of the moon