Additional CMS website information for the Hospice Wage Index Final Rule
CMS; compiled by Judi Lund Person; 8/4/26 
Downloads on CMS website that provide additional information for the final rule:

• FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index Fact Sheet: Summary of key points in FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index final rule.
• FY 2027 Final Hospice Wage Index:  Wage index values for every county in the country.
• FY 2027 Final SSVI Overview:  An overview of the Service and Spending Variability Index (SSVI), now included in the FY 2027 Final rule.
• Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI): Data for every hospice in the country for SSVI calculations, both utilization and non-hospice spending metrics. The data provided is for both FY 2024 and FY 2025.

Hospice physician: pain management growing more complex for families 
Hospice News; by James Warda; 8/7/26  
When a patient starts to receive hospice care, families often expect to focus on making memories, finding comfort and spending meaningful time together. However, many instead find themselves making frantic phone calls to multiple pharmacies, driving across town to locate medications, or waiting days for prescriptions that should be readily available, with a patient in need at home. According to the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine’s (AAHPM) Board of Directors Secretary, Dr. Michael Barnett, a hospice physician and former inpatient palliative care physician, this growing challenge is becoming an all-too-common part of end-of-life care.

Flight of the Dove marks 21st year with 204 riders and more than $50,000 raised 
Laurens County Buzz, Laurens, SC; by Staff; 8/10/26 
Laurens County’s 21st annual Flight of the Dove drew 204 registered riders to Clinton on Aug. 1 and raised more than $50,000 in support of hospice care in Laurens County. Riders traveled from six states to take part, including South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Illinois and Texas. The oldest registered rider was 83 and the youngest was 20. Of those registered, 150 were men and 54 were women. The ride was supported by 51 volunteers stationed at the stadium and at rest stops along the route, along with 26 volunteer motorcycles.

MatrixCare publishes their list of 2026 CAHPS Honors Elite and Honors Award winners 
MatrixCare, by ResMed; retrieved from the MatrixCare website on 8/11/26 
For over 10 years, the prestigious HHCAHPS Honors and Hospice CAHPS Honors programs recognize agencies that excel in delivering positive patient experiences and high-quality care as measured by the Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) and Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers (CAHPS) satisfaction scores. ... By highlighting agencies that excel in patient satisfaction and quality of care, these programs not only celebrate outstanding achievement, but also set standards of excellence within the industry. They inspire agencies to continually prioritize the patient and caregiver experiences—fostering trust, compassion, and innovation in home health and hospice services. [Read the list here.]
Editor's Note: This list was selected and published by MatrixCare (a ResMed company), and is limited to their clients, only. MatrixCare's "Honors" status indicates scores above MatrixCare's National Performance scores for at least 17 of 22 measures; "Elite" status indicates scores above national averages for all 22 measures. Several other CAHPS approved vendors provide their own scoring and awards. CMS--itself--does not run an award program; it does publish official Care Compare measure scores. Congratulations to all organizations listed, especially the approximately 70 that reached MatrixCare's top "Honors Elite" tier.

Private equity ownership in hospice care:  a systematic review (2012-2026) 
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Denise D. Quigley, Shannon Walsh, Cordt T. Kassner, Lara Dhingra, Andrew W. Dick; 7/28/26 
Hospice care is associated with improved end-of-life outcomes. Recent shifts in hospice utilization highlight several key trends. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) (25%) have surpassed cancer (23%) as the leading primary diagnosis. Concurrently, industry ownership has transitioned from predominantly nonprofit to for-profit (70%) and private equity (PE) ownership has grown dramatically from 3% to 15%. To date, no study has synthesized evidence on PE ownership in hospice care.  We conducted a systematic review of English-language, peer-reviewed studies published 2012-2026, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Social Media Watch 8/7/26

• Christopher Kerr, CMO with Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo, was mentioned in a Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State (HPCANYS) post regarding his 30-minute podcast with Oprah Winfrey.
• Drew Mihalyo, Principal @ simPAL Solutions, discusses an Atlantic article, "Americans are in denial about elder care."

Sixth Circuit clarifies Medicare safe harbor for hospice providers in landmark coverage decision 
JD Supra; by Jason Bring and Bill Dombi; 8/5/26 
Key Takeaways

• The Sixth Circuit clarified that hospice providers may qualify for Medicare’s statutory safe harbor when they reasonably and in good faith interpret Medicare coverage requirements, even if coverage is later denied.
• The decision rejects a blanket rule that knowledge of a LCD automatically defeats safe harbor protection under 42 U.S.C. § 1395pp, requiring individualized reasonableness analysis instead.
• Hospice providers should review documentation, eligibility determinations, and Medicare appeal strategies in light of this precedent, which may significantly affect future overpayment disputes and recoupment actions.

CMS offers guidance on expanding PACE program to rural areas 
McKnights Home Care; by Marissa Fernandez; 5/3/26 
The National PACE Association praised recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which offered up mobile health clinics and using funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program as two main ways to expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to rural areas. ... Mobile health clinics were identified as acceptable alternative care settings as long as they meet applicable local, state and federal health care facility regulations and documentation clearly labels it a mobile unit. CMS also offered guidance to states on using RHT funding for PACE organizations.

Can a short-term moratorium strengthen the hospice sector? 
LeadingAge; by Katie Smith Sloan; 8/11/26 
President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan explains why LeadingAge supported the six-month moratorium on Medicare enrollment of new hospice providers and what nonprofit providers can do to strengthen the hospice sector.
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a community theater production of the iconic musical “Fiddler on the Roof.” In a series of unforgettable scenes, Tevye, the production’s main character, makes difficult family decisions by artfully balancing opposing views before choosing his path. 
“On the one hand,” he intones, then ruminates on the important role tradition must play in the life of his village and family. “On the other hand,” he counters thoughtfully, then acknowledges that the inevitability of change must be factored into every decision.
I’ve recalled Tevye’s internal monologue many times since May, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a six-month national moratorium on enrolling new hospice agencies in Medicare. ...

What to say to someone who is dying, according to hospice workers 
Time; by Angela Haupt; 8/5/26   
In the weeks before Her father died, Sydney Mishkin kept trying to figure out what she still hadn’t told him. She felt desperate to identify the words she might one day regret leaving unsaid. ... “How do you sum up a lifetime of loving somebody into a sentence or two?” she says. ... The answer, according to people who spend their careers alongside the dying, is that you don’t have to. There are words that can bring comfort, invite honesty, and help both of you find peace. But there’s no perfect script—and your presence likely matters more than anything you manage to say.

• Don't wait for the right moment ...
• Lead with the obvious—and then let them talk ...
• Say the four things that matter most ...
• Reassure them about what they're leaving behind ...
• Skip the platitudes—and don't try to fix it ...

Home health aide pay 2026: $17.36/hr average, top states & policy threat to your paycheck 
Unfinished Man; by Rasha; 8/11/26 
The average home health aide makes $36,120 a year, or $17.36 an hour — but pay varies widely by state, setting, and a proposed federal rule change. You search “home health aide salary” and get three different numbers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says one thing, Payscale says another, and the Labor Department median sits somewhere in between. Which one do you trust? ... Some aides earn barely above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Others clear $20 an hour. And right now, there’s a policy fight happening that could change everything about how this job pays.

• National Pay Averages: The Numbers You Need ...
• Best-Paying States for Home Health Aides ...
• What Determines Your Pay: Experience, Certifications, and Where You Work ...
• Beyond the Hourly Rate: Benefits, Mileage, and Pay Frequency ...
• Overtime: The Right and the Paradox ...
• HHA vs. CNA: What Explains the Pay Gap ...
• A History of Exclusion: Why HHA Pay Has Always Been Low ...
• Who Cares? The Demographics and Economic Reality ...
• The Proposed Rollback: What It Means for Aides' Pay ...
• People Also Ask ...

Editor's Note: Patients and caregivers often feel most supported, most cared for by their nurse aides. Often, they visit more frequently, providing sensitive immediate relief through baths, assistance and assurance with clothing, bedding, toileting needs, comfortable positioning, and more. Often, they are the first IDG member to see and report changes in the patient's condition. When I served on IDG teams and later as executive leader for employee education--and later as caregiver for my mom in our home with hospice--we cherished our hospice aides. We knew their active, tender care provided immeasurable relief and support. Now--across our hospice field and throughout your organization--how are we valuing and paying these all-important hospice professionals?

If consuming too much caffeine causes short term memory loss, just imagine what consuming too much caffeine can do!