Literature Review

Blue Ridge Care unveils new hospice nursing scholarship Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 5/12/26 Blue Ridge Care has launched a new scholarship for prospective nurses at a local community college. The Helen Zebarth Nursing Scholarship was established in partnership with Laurel Ridge Community College to expand financial educational support and experience in hospice, palliative and community-based care. Scholarship recipients receive tuition funding and increased exposure to end-of-life care settings during their education. The scholarship comes at a critical time of need, according to Blue Ridge Care’s Chief Engagement Officer Kim Golanski and the organization’s COO Altonia Garrett. 

Varied reporting of the CMS Hospice and Home Health Moratorium

Advise is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't. ~ Erica Jong

CMS just paused new hospice enrollments citing fraud. Here’s what your team needs to say this week. Transcend; by Tony Kudner; 5/13/26 ... While we’re glad steps are being taken to get the bad actors out, there are immediate implications for your teams in the community and in the intake department. The specifics are hard to ignore and will make headlines in your community if they haven’t already: ... 

CMS leader explains hospice fraud, Medicare risks, and the future of healthcare | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Kim Brandt; 5/13/26 In this compelling first installment, CMS Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt joins Chris Comeaux for a candid conversation about the growing hospice fraud crisis, the financial future of Medicare, and the urgent transformation happening across American healthcare. Drawing from her leadership role at CMS and firsthand experiences with hospice care in her own family, Brandt shares why hospice remains a critical pillar of compassionate care — while also exposing the alarming abuse threatening the integrity of the system.

PARC Retreat explores how aging, workforce strains, and federal debt are reshaping U.S. health care Penn LDI - Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics; by Hoag Levins; 5/13/26 Penn Gathering of Experts Examines the Growing Pressures Facing Older Americans In predicting the future of U.S. health care, it is important to recognize that the long-term health of the population depends not just on medical policy, innovation, or care delivery, but on whether the federal government can sustainably finance the systems that pay for that care, Penn Wharton School Professor and national budget expert Kent Smetters, PhD, told the May 1, 2026 Penn Population Aging Research Center Annual Retreat. 

US halting Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers Reuters; by Jody Godoy; 5/13/26 The Trump administration will temporarily block new home health and hospice providers on Wednesday from enrolling in Medicare, a senior administration official said, citing concerns about widespread fraud. The nationwide moratorium is the latest move by Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force to crack down on healthcare scams, including those that affect Medicare, a U.S. government program providing health insurance to elderly and disabled Americans.

The Alliance responds to CMS’s announcement of nationwide enrollment moratoria on hospice and home health providers  National Alliance for Care at Home | The Alliance; Press Release; 5/13/26 On May 13, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a six-month national moratorium on hospice and home health enrollment in response to program integrity concerns within the Medicare programs. While the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) strongly supports efforts to root out bad actors who exploit these essential programs, undermine confidence in care at home, and threaten the patients and families who depend on it, the Alliance has long advocated for targeted strategies that distinguish between high-fraud markets and communities where fraud is not an identified problem and patients already face shortages of providers. 

Baylor students learn care as healing in hospice class Waco Tribune-Herald, Waco, TX; by Carl Hoover; 5/12/26 A spring class for Baylor University medical humanities students put them in contact with something that medical training often skirts around: people who are dying and beyond what medicine can heal. The class, a partnership between Baylor and Providence Hospice, exposes students to the dynamics of hospice care through weekly contact with hospice patients, shadowing the routines of social workers, hospice workers and chaplains, plus and regular group discussions with classmates on their experiences. The hospice class was the brainchild of former Baylor medical humanities professor Bill Hoy, who started the class in 2020, recalled Sonya Wilson. Wilson, the volunteer coordinator for Providence Hospice, continues to teach the hospice class in collaboration with Baylor post-doctorate teaching fellow Levi Durham.Editor's Note: Recent newsletter posts about Dr. Bill Hoy include "Bridging the differences in care for grieving people: Worden’s differentiation between grief counseling and grief therapy" and "Not everything that can be counted ..."

NPHI commends CMS action to implement temporary nationwide hospice moratorium to strengthen hospice program integrity National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation | NPHI, Washington, DC; Press Release; 5/13/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, applauds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announcement of a temporary six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare hospice enrollments that will help stop fraudulent operators from exploiting the Medicare hospice benefit. NPHI was the first organization in the nation to publicly call for a temporary nationwide moratorium, formally urging CMS to take this action in a March 25, 2026 letter sent to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and Deputy Administrator and COO Kim Brandt.

US halting Medicare enrollments for new home healthcare and hospice providers Reuters; by Jody Godoy; 5/13/26 The Trump administration will temporarily block new home health and hospice providers on Wednesday from enrolling in Medicare, a senior administration official said, citing concerns about widespread fraud. The nationwide moratorium is the latest move by Vice President JD Vance's anti-fraud task force to crack down on healthcare scams, including those that affect Medicare, a U.S. government program providing health insurance to elderly and disabled Americans.

Partners In Care announces new Chief Executive Officer Cascade Business News - CBN; Press Release by CBN; 5/12/26 Partners In Care, the leading nonprofit hospice, home health, and palliative care provider, recently announced the appointment of John Weinsheim as its next chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2026, and the upcoming retirement of current CEO Greg Hagfors, who has led the organization since 2022. The selection followed a rigorous search process that recognized exceptional talent and reflected the remarkable depth of leadership that exists at Partners In Care.