Literature Review

The Fraud Division launches West Coast Strike Force to target health care fraud schemes across Arizona, Nevada, and Northern California Office of Public Affairs; U.S. Department of Justice; Press Release; 4/20/26 The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division) today announced the formation of the West Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force, a multi-district enforcement initiative uniting the Division’s Health Care Fraud Section with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona, District of Nevada, and Northern District of California.  The Health Care Strike Force model has proven to be one of the most powerful tools in the federal enforcement arsenal, responsible nationally for the prosecution of over 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion.

Discontinuation of medications with limited benefit at end of life in community-dwelling older veteransJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Joshua M Thorpe, Kelvin A Tran, Sherrie L Aspinall, Shelli L Feder, Brystana G Kaufman, Ann Kutney-Lee, Maria K Mor, Loren J Schleiden, Florentina E Sileanu, Carolyn T Thorpe, Courtney H Van Houtven; 4/26Discontinuation of medications with limited benefits (LBM) in patients nearing the end of life can reduce burden, adverse events, and costs, and enhance quality of life. However, most research on end-of-life prescribing has focused on nursing homes or hospice settings. [This study setting was] community-residing, non-hospice older veterans. Among community-dwelling older veterans in their final year of life, 73% were receiving at least one LBM at the start of that year, and 78% of these individuals continued LBM use until death. These rates parallel those reported in long-term care populations and underscore the need for community-based healthcare providers to routinely screen for LBMs and support appropriate medication discontinuation in older patients with advanced illnesses and limited life expectancy.

NPHI statement on “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud” hearingNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, Washington, DC; Press Release; 4/22/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) supports the continued focus by Congress and the Administration on addressing fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare hospice benefit. NPHI’s policy team, led by Ethan McChesney and joined by Quin Lyons, attended the House Ways & Means Full Committee hearing titled “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud,” on April 21, reinforcing NPHI’s active engagement on this issue. ... “Fraud in hospice is not a theoretical concern – it is happening in real time, and patients and families are paying the price,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder and CEO of NPHI. “We are seeing entire markets impacted by actors who have no connection to the communities they claim to serve. These fraudulent actors must be rooted out of the system — at once."

[Canada] Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) Blueprint for Action 2025-2030 Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC); 4/24/26 The Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) released the Blueprint for Action 2025–2030, a national roadmap that identifies key priorities needed to ensure that more people in Canada have access to high-quality, culturally safer, and affordable palliative care. 

Not just California: A national hospice ‘Blue Book’ is needed to fight fraudThe Hill; by Robin Heffernan; 4/22/26Congress has finally decided to wade into the deep waters of hospice fraud in California. That is a good thing. But what members need to know is that this problem is not new, and it is not confined to one state. What’s more, enforcement alone will not solve it — what is desperately needed is more prevention... What is missing is a so-called “Blue Book” for the hospice industry — an ongoing, up-to-date reference of providers and their quality performance, to distinguish high-quality providers from those that should not be in the program. The data for this already exists. Claims patterns, visit reliability, length of stay, revocation rates and patient experience can make outliers visible early. Unfortunately, that information is not consistently surfaced or used at the point where decisions are made.Publisher's note: I wholeheartedly agree with Robin’s insightful article and strongly encourage everyone to explore the National Hospice Locator. This valuable resource represents a meaningful step forward in improving access to compassionate end-of-life care. Also, Robin has participated in several Teleios Collaborative Network TCNtalks podcasts. [Robin Heffernan is co-founder and chief executive of Empassion Health.]

1520ai and Hospice Analytics announce strategic combination to advance data-driven hospice care and AI innovation1520ai & Hospice Analytics press release; by Mark Cohen, Ernesto Lopez, Cordt Kassner; 4/28/261520ai and Hospice Analytics today announced that Hospice Analytics will become part of 1520ai and the broader simPAL Solutions family, bringing together Hospice Analytics’ hospice data expertise with 1520ai’s vision for a new generation of hospice-native AI capabilities designed to help providers turn data into better decisions and improved care. Hospice Analytics will maintain its core branding, products, and services while operating as part of 1520ai. Founder and longtime leader Cordt Kassner will continue to lead operations and guide the organization’s ongoing work with hospice providers across the country. “This builds on Hospice Analytics’ long-established foundation of innovation, expertise, and reliability,” said Ernesto Lopez, CEO of 1520ai. “Cordt and his team have earned deep trust in the hospice community by turning complex data into meaningful, actionable insights. Together, we have an opportunity to integrate AI into that work and create tools that help hospice leaders make better decisions, improve operations, and support better care for patients and families.”

Awards and Recognitions: April 2026

NPHI execs: quality is hospices’ differentiator Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/28/26 True quality care transcends government-required metrics and is key to shaping the future of hospice care. This is according to Tom Koutsoumpas, founder and CEO of the National Partnership for Healthcare & Hospice Innovation (NPHI), and Carole Fisher, the organization’s president. While factors like regulatory compliance are crucial to quality, they don’t tell the whole story, Koutsoumpas and Fisher told Hospice News at NPHI’s Annual Summit in Chicago. “Quality is our differentiator. In addition to all the scores, certainly patient and family satisfaction is a huge part of it, making sure that we continue to put the patient and family in the center. ...” Koutsoumpas said. “Do we create an atmosphere of trust? That’s a quality issue."

End-of-life nurse's top things terminal patients wish they knew earlier: pearls of wisdom from people in their final days have been revealed Wales Online; by Samantha Leathers; 4/17/26 End-of-life care specialists at Marie Curie have revealed the most precious wisdom shared by dying patients in their final months, weeks and days, urging others to focus on what genuinely matters. Living in the moment, letting go of grudges and embracing life without fear were among their top recommendations. Multiple nurses and care assistants also revealed that among the most common regrets voiced was missing family gatherings due to work obligations. This ranks alongside worrying excessively about money, with numerous patients advising their loved ones to invest in memorable moments instead of saving for potential emergencies.

How a pickleball injury highlights fraud in California's hospice industry ArcaMax; by Richard Winton; 4/21/26 Lynn Ianni didn't learn she was apparently dying in a Los Angeles County hospice care facility until her Medicare claim for a pickleball injury was rejected. "At first we laughed because it was an obvious clerical error," the Seattle-based psychotherapist recalled before a congressional committee Tuesday, where she was providing testimony about her months-long experience in 2024 with fraud in the hospice industry. "It wasn't just frustrating, it was terrifying." Ianni appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill at a hearing that revealed details about fake claims and stolen doctors' identities. She was a victim of California hospice scammers. Editor's Note: Download Lynn Ianni's testimonry to the House Ways and Means Committee, 4/21/26.

Leonardtown Run For Hospice raises $125k in 29th annual event My Town, Leonardtown, MD; by Nicholaus Wiberg; 4/16/26 Runners, walkers and pets gathered Saturday morning in Leonardtown (4/11) for the 29th annual Run and Fun Walk for Hospice of St. Mary’s, continuing a long-standing community tradition supporting hospice and bereavement services for local families. The event featured a 10K and 5K runs and a fun walk, beginning at the St. Mary’s County Governmental Center and winding through historic Leonardtown and surrounding rural roads. ... More than 1,100 participants from across the region registered for the St. Mary’s County event; ... the main event raised more than $125,000 ...

Build a real workplace violence committee. Not just a checkbox. Download 9 ready-to-use templates to launch your program.pomsafe - Compliance Resource; by pomsafe; 4/15/26 Built for the filed, not the facility. Most WPV resources are designed for hospitals, buildings, and fixed locations. This kit was built from the ground up for organizations whose staff work in homes, communities, and the field, where the risk environment looks completely different. Built for teams in home health and hospice; ... any organization sending caregivers into patient homes or the community.