The debate: vertical integration, payvider, or world-class care—which path forward? | part two 
Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 10/23/26 
What if hospice’s greatest opportunity begins long before a patient qualifies for hospice? In Part Two of The Debate: Vertical Integration, Payvider, or World-Class Care—Which Path Forward?, host Chris Comeaux explores the case for moving upstream into palliative care and home-based primary care for frail elders.  "Paul" argues that patients experience one continuous journey through illness—and deserve a trusted team that can support them across it. Through the illustrative story of Mary, an 83-year-old navigating complex illness with an overwhelmed spouse, the conversation brings the promise of earlier intervention and stronger caregiver support into focus.

The Washington Home invests $328K to reduce barriers to hospice care access for older adults across Washington, DC 
NewsNet, Washington, DC; by EIN Presswire; 10/22/26 
The Washington Home (TWH) has launched its Hospice Access Collaboration, a new grant initiative designed to address barriers that prevent vulnerable DC residents from accessing hospice and other end-of-life support. Through a $327,814 investment in four partner organizations: Capital Caring Health – A Chapters Health® Affiliate, Forest Hills of DC – By Goodwin Living, Joseph’s House, and Sibley Memorial Hospital – Johns Hopkins Medicine, the collaboration will expand hospice-related care for 25 older DC residents and train 200 healthcare professionals in four key areas:

• Access ...
• Training ...
• Funding ...
• Nutrition ...

CommonSpirit Health at Home’s 3 pillars for hospice growth 
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 10/13/26 
CommonSpirit Health at Home is heavily focused on hospice growth, though the company had to pivot its strategy when the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented its six-month enrollment moratorium. This is because the strategy was largely focused on de novos, which cannot move forward under the moratorium, Trisha Crissman, CommonSpirit Health at Home’s CEO, told Hospice News sister site Home Health Care News. The company’s five-year growth strategy is founded on three pillars: geographical expansion, boosting its market share and engaging patients farther upstream.

ChristianaCare palliative care founder blasts outsourcing
DelawareOnline; by Sophia Voight; 10/23/26 
ChristianaCare is discontinuing its in-house palliative care services, choosing to outsource the services to its hospice partner AccentCare. "We want to be clear that ChristianaCare is not stepping away from palliative care," ChristianaCare’s Chief Physician Executive Kert Anzilotti said in a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal. "The delivery model is changing, but palliative care will continue to be an important part of our approach to high-quality, patient-centered care." But the retired physician who founded ChristianaCare’s palliative care services warns that outsourcing them could hurt patients and diminish the quality of care.

How can you make a loved one's room more comfortable during hospice? 
WriteUpCafe; by Oakdale Heights Assisted Living; 10/22/26 
Keep the room calm, clutter-free, and easy to see: soft but sufficient lighting, clear pathways, high-contrast items, familiar objects, and a predictable daily rhythm. Work with the hospice team on equipment and positioning, and ask the care staff where your loved one lives how they can help keep the routine steady. ...

• Why does the environment matter so much at the end of life? ...
• What lighting works best? ...
• How can contrast and layout help? ...
• What makes a room feel familiar and calm? ...
• Who helps with comfort in an assisted living setting? ...

When a loved one refuses treatment: what families need to know 
WDRB | WAVE, Louisville, KY; by LeAnne Gendreau, Katherine Ambrose, Sondra 'Sam' Cradduck, Amy Cameron O’Rourke and Dr. Rhea Rogers; 10/23/26 
When an aging parent or loved one says no to medical treatment, it can feel alarming — but that decision is often rooted in something deeper than it first appears. The Aging Untold hosts break down what’s really driving these moments and how families can respond with patience instead of panic.

• “Slow down and listen” ...
• Understanding what’s really being said ...
• Clearing up misconceptions about hospice ...
• Asking the right questions ...

Attorney General Bonta: 103 criminal cases filed in statewide Medi-Cal fraud enforcement efforts Office of the Attorney General - California Department of Justice, Los Angeles, CA; Press Release by Rob Bonta, Attorney General; 10/22/26 
California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the results of a statewide effort over the last year targeting fraud in California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. As a result of these efforts, felony charges were filed against 103 individual IHSS providers for allegedly defrauding the Medi-Cal program out of over $4.5 million dollars. “By enabling parents to care for their adult children with disabilities and allowing elderly individuals to age in place, IHSS provides a vital lifeline for families across the state. We are here to protect that lifeline,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “This isn’t a political game for us. This is about protecting taxpayer dollars, protecting the programs that sick and vulnerable Californians rely on, and protecting our state. ..."

DOJ launches first fast-track whistleblower rewards for tips leading to criminal fraud charges 
Mondaq | Legal 500 | Intelligence; by Meredith Auten, William Brady, Jack Shean, and Jessica R. Sievert; 10/23/26 
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a groundbreaking whistleblower rewards program that pays upfront awards when criminal charges are filed, rather than waiting years for case resolution. This new initiative targets healthcare fraud and government program fraud, with particular focus on hospice, home health, daycare and special services sectors. Companies should understand how this accelerated timeline affects their compliance strategies and internal reporting systems.

CMS eyes reducing UPI contractors' role in bid to directly target Medicare fraud inside health policy 
InsideHealthPolicy; by Dorothy Mills-Gregg; 10/21/26 
CMS is considering reducing the traditional role of Unified Program Integrity Contractors so it can take direct control over which providers and suppliers become targets of Medicare fraud investigations -- a move that McDermott Will & Schulte is flagging to providers and investors as potentially “one of the most significant changes to Medicare fraud enforcement in years.” The possible shift, laid out in an Oct. 5 CMS request for information on fraud defense, would reduce the traditional role of UPICs and instead have them primarily conduct CMS-directed investigations and help build administrative and enforcement cases. [Full access may be limited to a subscription]

Self-disclosure pilot offers home-based care providers more clarity, but risks remain 
Home Health Care News; by MK Manoylov; 10/23/26 
A new federal pilot program will allow healthcare companies, including home-based care providers, to self-report and rectify conduct, such as compliance issues. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division announced the six-month self-disclosure pilot program on Thursday. The pilot provides more clarity on resolving certain civil billing violations, though concerns about repayment costs and risk exposure for small providers remain, home-based care industry experts told Home Health Care News.

Do industry payments influence end-of-life cancer care? 
Medscape; by Megan Brooks; 10/23/26 
Patients treated by oncologists who receive personal payments from drug manufacturers are more likely to receive aggressive end-of-life care, a large Medicare study found. ... The analysis raises questions about whether financial relationships between oncologists and drug manufacturers may contribute to potentially burdensome care near the end-of-life, although the observational study cannot establish causation. The possibility that industry relationships may influence treatment decisions near the end-of-life is “profoundly upsetting, but not at all surprising,” Kerin Adelson, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, commented during the session.

Five hundred, twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes ... how do you measure, measure a year?  ~ Jonathan Larson, Rent
More inspiration from Rent for hospice leaders:

• "Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care?"
• "No day but today!"
• "Forget regret, or life is yours to miss."
• "Measure your life in love." 
• "One song | Glory | One song | Before I go | Glory | One song to leave behind."

Editor's Note: Original cast members and special guests reunite tonight, Monday, October 26, at 8 pm Eastern for a worldwide livestream celebrating the 30th anniversary of Rent. Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical brought the lives, love, and losses of people affected by HIV/AIDS to center stage. The gala concert benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Broadway's in-person tickets are sold out, but livestream tickets are available, with viewing through 11 pm Eastern on Tuesday, October 27.