Literature Review

Medicaid provider allegedly billed $165K for dead patient's rides among fraud exposed in explosive reportNew York Times Post; staff writers; 10/5/26A Colorado resident [Wesam Yassin] was charged with trying to steal hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars by billing the state’s Medicaid program for transporting a patient to doctor’s appointments — rides that would have taken place after that person had already died... It also pointed to charges against Ashley Marie Stevens, who is accused of trying to bilk the state for over $1 million in taxpayer dollars. She is accused of billing the state some $400,000 for non-medical rides for herself and her family in addition to “ghost rides,” which never even took place.

Event Recap: NPHI Unites Healthcare Leaders in Washington to Shape the Future of Hospice and Advanced Illness CareNPHI press release; by Matt Wilkinson; 10/6/26The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI), the national voice for nonprofit hospice and advanced illness care, brought together members, partners, sponsors and national healthcare leaders from across the country for its 2026 Washington Leadership Conference, held September 30 – October 2 in the nation’s capital. The three-day gathering focused on strengthening the quality and integrity of hospice care, advancing innovation and addressing the challenges facing patients, families and providers in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. The conference featured direct conversations with senior officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG), congressional staff and national healthcare leaders. Discussions covered Medicare policy, program integrity, quality improvement, caregiving, artificial intelligence and new opportunities to expand access to serious illness care.

Hospice East Bay workers strikeHospice News; by Holly Vossel; 10/5/26Dozens of workers at California-based Hospice East Bay on Monday launched a seven-day strike. The strike includes 70 bereavement counselors, chaplains, nurses, social workers and pharmacists at the hospice. The workers joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) in 2023.

DAI closes HCA hospice, home health transactionHospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/5/26Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has closed its acquisition of 31 home health and hospice agencies from HCA Healthcare. The deal includes 24 home health locations and seven hospice locations across eight states... Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, DAI is a faith-based, independent, nonprofit health care enterprise with a portfolio of more than $1 billion spanning diversified health services, programs, investments and community grant initiatives nationwide. The organization operates in 23 states, including six where it offers home health and hospice services. Across its broader footprint, DAI also provides physical, occupational and speech therapy services in senior living communities. The 31 acquired operations are concentrated primarily in Texas and Florida, with additional locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.

The LiBBY Study results are now available! [Agitation in dementia]LiBBY press release; by staff; 10/7/26The LiBBY (Life’s-end Benefits of cannaBidiol and tetrahYdrocannabinol) Study was the first of its kind to examine the possible benefits of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) as a safe treatment option for agitation in hospice-eligible people with dementia. The LiBBY Study results show that the THC/CBD investigational treatment administered as an oral, digestible combination oil reduced the symptoms of agitation, in comparison to the placebo treatment. The LiBBY Study results were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) in London, United Kingdom on July 14, 2026. The slides are publicly available and can be viewed below.

Neurodegenerative disease death certification among National Football League players with dementiaJAMA Network Open; by Charlotte B. Luster, Christopher J. Nowinski, Bobak Abdolmohammadi, Evan D. Feigel, Michael J. Mastrodicasa, Brenna Finegan, Lee Goldstein, Douglas I. Katz, Robert C. Cantu, Brigid Dwyer, Yorghos Tripodis, Thor D. Stein, Michael L. Alosco, Ann C. McKee, Jesse Mez, Daniel H. Daneshvar; 9/26This cohort study of 202 brain donors found that only 30.7% of former NFL players with clinician-adjudicated dementia had NDD [neurodegenerative disease] listed as the underlying cause of death. This study suggests that NDDs are substantially underascertained on death certificates of former NFL players, which mirrors findings in the general population, suggesting that death certificates may underestimate the true burden of NDD, particularly in less-severe cases. Across 7 investigations, dementia was listed on death certificates for only 7.2% to 41.8% of individuals with documented dementia diagnoses. Similar underascertainment has been reported for Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease (AD). In a cohort of patients with AD, only 25.5% of death certificates listed AD or dementia as the underlying cause, while 63.5% recorded it as a contributing cause. Assistant Editor's note: In nursing school many years ago, I never learned much about dementia or AD. It was kind of an "aside diagnosis"--a problem "pertaining to old people", but never the primary diagnosis. It wasn't until I got into hospice care that I realized what a devastating disease it can be, and how it affects many body systems, not just the brain. Of course, it deserves to be a primary terminal illness in and of itself! As noted in this article summary, 63.5% of death certificates list AD or dementia as a contributing cause of death. I'm sure it is indeed a contributing cause of death in some cases. But in other cases, as the article summary suggests, it is likely the primary cause of death and simply not captured as such on the death certificate.

Hospice industry generates $142 million in economic activity [in Puerto Rico] W Journal; by Newsroom; 9/24/26 Puerto Rico’s hospice industry generates an estimated $142 million in economic activity, supports approximately 1,417 jobs and produces nearly $48 million in annual payroll, according to a new study by Estudios Técnicos Inc. (ETI). Commissioned by Grace Health Puerto Rico, the study examines the industry’s economic impact and the potential cost benefits of hospice care compared with more intensive forms of end-of-life treatment. ... “The findings demonstrate that hospice services generate not only economic benefits, but also important social benefits for patients and their families,” said Anitza Cox Marrero, director of ETI’s Social Analysis Division.

Anderson Family Care launches, addresses systemic gaps in end-of-life care businesswire, Nashville, TN; Press Release; 9/24/26 Anderson Family Care, a mission-driven end-of-life care organization founded by healthcare industry veterans, today announced its official launch to bridge the gap in how patients, caregivers and healthcare providers experience the final chapter. Founded to address the persistent industry challenge of late hospice referrals and fragmented provider communication, Anderson Family Care serves as the parent company of an integrated, dual-brand model offering advanced technology navigation, earlier goals-of-care conversations as well as high-touch, bedside care delivery. 

CMS to update Hospice CoPs Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 9/25/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun the process of revising the hospice Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for the first time in 20 years. ... CMS will hold three listening sessions with stakeholders to discuss and gather feedback on the CoPs and what they may change. The first is scheduled for Oct. 6 for hospice administrators and management, and the second will take place on Oct. 7 for direct care workers. The third happens on Oct. 14 for patient caregivers and families.

Dr. Martin McCormack: The healthcare leader connecting education, governance and a safer worldGlobal Healthcare Magazine; September 2026 issue Long before he held the title [Chief Executive Officer of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland], ... Dr. Martin McCormack sat with families in the hardest hours of their lives, [as a palliative care physician, trauma counselor with patients and families in intensive care, supervising a team of 36 medical social workers, developing bereavement services]. ... He measures his own leadership less by what has been delivered in any one period than by the capability it leaves behind. Strong people, inclusive institutions, trusted partnerships and systems that learn are, to him, the more meaningful measures of leadership. ... Dr. McCormack has been asking some version of the same question that has remained consistent throughout his career: What does this person need from the system around them, and how do we build it so it holds? 

Technical correction for FY 2027 Hospice Rates published U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 42 CFR Part 418; notes below by Judi Lund Person; 9/29/26On September 29, 2026, the Federal Register published the long-awaited technical correction to the hospice rates, due to an error in calculating the wage index standardization factor. The national rates have dropped by a few pennies and the revised FY 2027 rates are now final. The Federal Register notice can be found here, which includes national rates for all levels of care. The new rates will take effect on October 1, 2026.

HMN 2026: How palliative care understanding shapes preferences for end-of-life care Health Medicine Network; 99/28/26 A Swedish population-level study has found that people with a comprehensive understanding of palliative care are more likely to prefer end-of-life care at home or in a hospice. Among individuals with less understanding about palliative care, hospital care is preferred. ... The data were based on a random sample of 3,750 people ages 16–90 from the Swedish population register. 

Technical correction for FY 2027 Hospice Rates published U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 42 CFR Part 418; notes below by Judi Lund Person; 9/29/26On September 29, 2026, the Federal Register published the long-awaited technical correction to the hospice rates, due to an error in calculating the wage index standardization factor. The national rates have dropped by a few pennies and the revised FY 2027 rates are now final. The Federal Register notice can be found here, which includes national rates for all levels of care. The new rates will take effect on October 1, 2026.