Literature Review

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. 

Varied reporting of the CMS Hospice and Home Health Moratorium

Free webinar today by CHAP, 3-4pm ET: The National Hospice and Home Health Enrollment Moratorium | what we know so far Community Health Accreditation Partner; webinar will be presented by Kim Skehan, Jennifer Kennedy, and Teresa Harbour; posted 5/14/26 with webinar 5/15/26 Join CHAP and Kim Skehan for a timely discussion focused on what we currently know, what remains unclear, and how providers should be thinking about readiness, compliance, and next steps. Anyone can view and join online. During the webinar, we will cover:

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. 

Watch recording: JD Vance holds press conference on anti-fraud initiatives Washington Examiner | White House | YouTube | PBS News; by David Zimmermann; 5/13/26 Vice President JD Vance held a press conference Wednesday afternoon on anti-fraud initiatives he has been spearheading alongside other officials. Since March, the vice president has led the White House task force designed to combat fraud across the nation. Reported fraud in Minnesota served as the impetus for the task force’s creation, according to an executive order. 

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.

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.

[New Zealand and Australia] Most palliative care doctors back research into psychedelic medicines for end of life careNews Wire; 4/12/26A survey of palliative care doctors in New Zealand and Australia has found overwhelming support for more research into psychedelic medicines for patients facing terminal illness, adding weight to growing calls for a regulated pathway that would allow clinicians to explore what some researchers describe as transformative treatments. The study, which surveyed 93 palliative care physicians across both countries, found 88 per cent agreed that clinical use of psychedelic medicines for palliative patients warranted further investigation. [The source article referenced is Perceptions of Australasian palliative care physicians regarding the safety and efficacy of psychedelic medicines: An exploratory mixed-methods study; Psychedelics; by Nicholas Sawers, Michael Billingsley, David B. Menkes; 6/1/26.]

Celebrating National Volunteer Month: hospice organizations showed appreciation (April 2026) Hospice & Palliative Care Today; compilation by Joy Berger; 5/1/26 This list from published articles simply scratches the surface. On behalf of Hospice & Palliative Care Today, we express our appreciation to hospice volunteers and the hospice leaders who value their gifts and time.