Literature Review

Local hospice leader exposes fraud draining millions in taxpayer dollars across Texas KWTX 10, Waco, TX; by Nicole Marino; 5/8/26 Texas hospice licenses have nearly doubled since 2020, with some operators billing Medicare for patients who don’t know they’re enrolled. ... Lisa McNair, president and CEO of Hospice Brazos Valley, testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services in April with research showing the number of hospices in Texas has nearly doubled since 2020. There are now more than 1,300 hospices operating in the state. ... McNair told KBTX that the fraud is draining taxpayer dollars and eroding trust in legitimate end-of-life care.

Healthcare leaders break down hospice reform, Medicare & quality care | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Tom Koutsoumpas and Carole Fisher; 5/6/26 In Part One of Healthcare Leaders Break Down Hospice Reform, Medicare & Quality Care, Chris Comeaux sits down with nationally respected healthcare leaders Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder & CEO of NPHI and Carole Fisher, President of NPHI to explore the evolving future of hospice, palliative care, Medicare oversight, and the growing demand for quality-driven, compassionate healthcare leadership. Together, they unpack the growing challenges facing end-of-life care — from fraud and benefit manipulation to the urgent need for quality transparency and authentic patient-centered care.

Navigating organ donation discussions: Toby Campbell, Nikole Neidlinger, Samantha TaylorGeriPal podcast; by Eric Widera, Alex Smith, Toby Campbell, Nikole Neidlinger, Samantha Taylor; 5/7/26While we have previously discussed brain death criteria on the GeriPal Podcast, we have yet to explore the complex landscape families face regarding organ donation. In this episode, we dive into the nuances of Donation after Brain Death (DBD) and Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD), and clarify the essential role of healthcare providers who are not part of an organ procurement organization. In this episode of the GeriPal Podcast, we step into a space in serious illness care that is often misunderstood, overlooked, or reduced to a simple “call the organ donation network” checklist item.

A Georgia hospice care provider has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy WhatNow; by Twinkle Jha; 5/6/26 The Lighthouse Community Hospice, Inc. has officially filed for bankruptcy protection. The healthcare provider offering hospice and palliative care services operates across 12 Georgia counties. Case records suggest that the filing does not hint at closure; regular operations are expected to continue as normal. The proceedings will allow the provider to restructure its finances under court supervision.

Key impacts of the 2026 National AI Legislative Framework on HealthcareArnall Golden Gregory blog; by Charmaine Mech Aguirre; 4/22/26On March 20, 2026, the White House published the national AI legislative framework, outlining the administration’s preferred blueprint for federal AI legislation. One of the framework’s most consequential themes is its explicit rejection of the current and rapidly expanding “patchwork of conflicting state laws” governing AI as contrary to innovation. Instead, the framework calls for a consistent national policy. The framework adopts an innovation‑forward posture, though it contemplates baseline guardrails for certain higher‑risk AI endeavors. The framework focuses on seven core pillars... [click here for more] Key Takeaways:

NPHI and C-TAC launch work on a federal community-based model to expand earlier, in-home support for patients nationwideNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, Washington, DC; Press Release; 5/7/26The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) and the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care (C-TAC), publicly announced today (5/7) their commitment to developing a federal fee-for-service community-based palliative care model aimed at expanding access to care across the United States. This initiative builds on longstanding work across the field to expand access to palliative care, particularly as its use has grown in hospital settings over time. ... Gaps in consistent data and evidence have also made it more difficult to fully demonstrate the impact of earlier, community-based interventions. Through this partnership, NPHI and C-TAC are working to address these challenges by advancing a more sustainable, evidence-driven model for care delivery.

‘Moving the mindset’ of equitable hospice accessHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/7/26Hospices’ diversity and inclusion efforts have hit several barriers in recent years. Policy reform and more person-centered care integration represent two significant propellants toward improvement. Today’s providers often lack sufficient resources to improve health equity in substantial and sustainable ways, said Dr. Kimberly Curseen, board president for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Workforce shortages, challenging economic conditions and inefficient reimbursement are among hospices’ greatest challenges, she stated. Hospices need structured community outreach processes that measure cost, outcomes and quality improvements across diverse patient populations, Curseen indicated. Having dedicated health equity resources would go a long way to better understanding the range of both unmet needs and under-reached service regions.

HopeHealth and URI College of Nursing establish academic-practice partnershipThe University of Rhode Island press release; by Izzy Nickel; 5/7/26HopeHealth and the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing have entered into a formal academic-practice partnership aimed at advancing clinical education, training, and professional opportunities in the field of hospice and palliative care... “This partnership reflects where the field of hospice and palliative care is heading,” said Diana Franchitto, president & CEO of HopeHealth. “Caring for people with serious illness calls for a distinct set of skills – helping patients manage symptoms, make informed choices, and focus on what matters most to them. Through our collaboration with the University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, we’re giving students the opportunity to learn that kind of care firsthand and to see the difference it can make in patients’ lives.”

Ohio’s Hospice CEO: prepare for value-based care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/6/26 In time, value-based care will come to hospices, and they must be ready, according to Kent Anderson, CEO of Ohio’s Hospice. In this environment, scale will be key, as will a need to better understand the needs and objectives of referral partners, Anderson told Hospice News. He also leads Metta Health, a revenue cycle management consulting firm. Ohio’s Hospice is a statewide alliance of nonprofit providers established in 2013. The network leverages its member organizations’ collective size in negotiations with vendors, payers and referral sources, collaborates on back-office functions and shares some expenses and infrastructure.

Mother's Day support for hospice families Hospice & Palliative Care Today; compilation by Joy Berger, Editor in Chief; 5/5/26 Mother’s Day can be tender—and complicated. Without thoughtful support, it can become a day to endure rather than a moment to hold with intention. This compilation offers gentle ways forward for hospice leaders to use or adapt with those they serve—honoring mothers who are still here, tending legacies in real time, and making space for grief when they are not. 

Alliance sounds alarm over federal payment suspensions tactic to fight hospice fraud McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 5/1/26 As the federal government continues to crack down on rampant hospice fraud in California and other states, advocates for the field fear that the government’s latest enforcement effort is unintentionally trapping ethical providers. ... While the government is basing a payment suspension on “a credible allegation of fraud,” the National Alliance for Care at Home worries that the government is using just one metric to justify its “credible allegation.” ... In a post this week, law firm Foley & Lardner LLP CMS defined a “’credible allegation of fraud’ as an allegation of fraud from any source, including but not limited to the following: (1) fraud hotline tips ... verified by further evidence; (2) claims data mining; and (3) patterns identified through provider audits, FCA cases and investigations.”

Why health plans are partnering with palliative care providers McKnights Home Care; by Liza Berger; 4/20/26 In recent months, several major health plans have disclosed deals with palliative care providers. The move mirrors a growing awareness of and appreciation for palliative care — which provides symptom relief, can be used alongside curative care and often takes place in the home — according to experts. In the latest agreement, which is slated to begin June 1, Humana inked a deal with Tuesday Health to deliver palliative care to Humana members with serious illness in Texas. ... The partnership reflects a shift in how palliative care is understood and delivered, Mihir Kamdar, head of clinical delivery for Tuesday Health, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse in an email.