Literature Review

CMS expands PPEO and EPR to Georgia and Ohio JD Supra; by Bryan Nowicki; 1/8/2026 CMS has extended its Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight (PPEO) and its Expanded Prepayment Review (EPR) enforcement efforts to Georgia and Ohio. The enhanced enforcement efforts can lead to the revocation of a hospice’s Medicare billing privileges, termination of Medicare/Medicaid enrollment, and/or the prepayment review of 100% of a hospice’s claims. VERY Brief PPEO/EPR Overview: CMS’s process relating to these efforts is quite inconsistent, but generally . . .

NPHI welcomes CMS leaders Dr. Mehmet Oz, Kimberly Brandt, and Chris Klomp for on-the-ground listening tour at Nathan Adelson HospiceNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innnovation (NPHI), Washington, DC; Press Release; 1/9/26 The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) welcomed leadership from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday to Nathan Adelson Hospice, Las Vegas, as part of an on-the-ground listening tour focused on hospice program integrity and the real-world challenges facing patients, families, and nonprofit providers. As part of the visit, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of CMS, Kimberly Brandt, CMS Chief Operating Officer, and Chris Klomp, Director of the Center for Medicare met with hospice clinicians, staff, community stakeholders, and NPHI leadership to hear local patient and provider stories that illustrate broader national concerns related to fraud, waste, and abuse in hospice care.

'I want to carry on mum's legacy after her death' BBC News; by Lynette Horsburgh; 1/3/26 A man whose mother spent her final days in a hospice has described how it has inspired a decade of fundraising challenges with the latest his "toughest yet" - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. David Clarke's mother, Margaret, of Blackburn, died aged 69 in East Lancashire Hospice in 2014. The next year he started challenges to raise funds for the hospice which provided "incredible" care to his mother who was known for her charity work and "carry on her legacy". ... "It costs £10,000 a day to run the hospice and that was my original target. "But my mum spent three days there so now I really want to raise £30,000."

Creating and sustaining a culture of excellence American Nurse; by Aileen Cassada, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, NRP, and Holly Puckett, DNP, RN, CNE, CMSRN; 1/5/26 Takeaways:

Community-dwelling older adults with dementia more likely to be bedbound in final year of life McKnights Long-Term Care News; by Foster Stubbs; 1/2/26 Community-dwelling older adults with dementia were nearly five times more likely to be bedbound in the last year of their lives compared with those without dementia, according to a December study published in JAMA Network Open. ... “Our findings reflect the need for in-home support to older adults who are bedbound,” authors said. 

Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the US – especially among seniors Independent; by Brendan Rascius; 1/5/26 Malnutrition deaths are soaring in the United States — particularly among seniors — and the reasons are unclear, according to a new report. In roughly the last 10 years, deaths linked to malnutrition have skyrocketed by a factor of six, making it the fastest-growing killer in the country, The Washington Post reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kobacker program moves to Ohio’s Hospice in landmark partnership preserving future of quality nonprofit end-of-life care US National Times, Columbus, OH; Press Release; 1/7/26 The Kobacker family today announced that Kobacker House, central Ohio’s pioneering inpatient hospice facility founded in 1989, will move and continue its mission under Ohio’s Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice provider. As part of the announcement, the family published a guiding charter, The Kobacker Way, which details fundamental principles for quality nonprofit hospice care. The full document is available at www.TheKobackerWay.org. 

Fourth temporary extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescription of controlled medications Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government; A Rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Health and Human Services Department on 12/31/2025 AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services.ACTION: Temporary rule.SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a fourth extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2026.DATES: This rule is effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

NPHI organizes listening tour on hospice program integrity with CMS leaders Dr. Oz and Kim BrandtNational Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI); Press Release; 1/8/26On Thursday [1/9], Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Kim Brandt, CMS Chief Operating Officer ... are visiting Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas as part of a listening session and on-site tour. On Friday, the tour continues in California, where NPHI is supporting discussions with federal leaders and providers in the state focused on fraud and abuse challenges impacting hospice care. These conversations are intended to help federal leaders better understand what providers are seeing on the ground and explore how CMS and the provider community can work together to strengthen program integrity while protecting access to high-quality, mission-driven care.

Fourth temporary extension of COVID-19 telemedicine flexibilities for prescription of controlled medications Federal Register - The Daily Journal of the United States Government; A Rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Health and Human Services Department on 12/31/2025 AGENCY: Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. ACTION: Temporary rule. SUMMARY: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) jointly with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing a fourth extension of telemedicine flexibilities for the prescribing of controlled medications through December 31, 2026. DATES: This rule is effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

Hospice of Michigan receives $10,000 grant for pediatric hospice care Ludington Daily News, Manistee, MI; 12/20/25Hospice of Michigan has received a $10,000 grant from the Manistee County Community Foundation to support its Jo Elyn Nyman Anchors Programs for Children, which provide specialized pediatric hospice care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The grant will help fund medical, emotional, social and spiritual support services delivered through the not-for-profit’s pediatric hospice programs. Hospice of Michigan is the only statewide hospice provider offering specialized pediatric hospice care services in northeast Michigan.

Holistic hospice provider expands to Pinellas County Catalyst; by Mark Parker; 12/24/25 A national end-of-life care company with unique offerings, including pet visits, personal pampering and Memory Bears made from a patient’s clothing, has expanded to Pinellas County. VITAS Healthcare is a nearly 50-year-old mobile hospice provider that takes a holistic approach to providing support during a sensitive time in someone’s life. A new administrative office at 12425 28th St. N. in St. Petersburg serves as a home base for interdisciplinary care teams. Kathleen Coronado, vice president of operations, said VITAS plans to eventually open a local inpatient center “for patients who need a higher level of care.” However, the company’s primary goal is to provide comfort wherever patients call home.

CMS weighs advance care planning quality measure for nursing homesMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Kimberly Marselas;12/16/25Nursing homes could soon be measured on their ability to capture advance care planning documents for their patients, according to a federal publication. On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released its 2025 list of measures under consideration. Among 24 new or updated metrics pitched for a range of Medicare programs, just one would directly affect skilled nursing: Advance Care Planning.