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. ...

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?

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.

HomeCare & Hospice golf tournament raises $5,500 for hospice care  
The Batvian, Batvia, NY; by Staff Writer; 8/11/26 
HomeCare & Hospice Foundation announced this week that its Second Annual Martha M. Spinnegan Batavia Hospice Golf Classic raised $5,500 to support hospice care across Genesee, Wyoming, Allegany and Cattaraugus counties. An additional $500 was presented to the Jerome Foundation to support the Martha M. Spinnegan Nursing Scholarship, helping future nurses pursue careers in caring for others. The tournament, held June 23 at Terry Hills Golf Course, drew a full field of 24 foursomes, an increase of eight teams over the inaugural event in 2025.

Local philanthropy ensures dignified death for all
The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO; by Jace Dicola; 8/8/26
It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans want to die in their home, comfortable and without financially burdening others. Satisfying all three criteria can be easier said than done; however, end-of-life care providers are a reliable solution for most people, since they typically deliver care in-home, focus on patient comfort and accept most insurance. But when it comes to people who are unhoused or uninsured, hospice care is often far from guaranteed. ... That reality looks different in much of western Colorado, primarily because of hospice and palliative care provider HopeWest.

The healthcare partnership nobody is talking about: hospice + FQHCs | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast hosted by Chris Comeaux with Kyle Ahlenstorf; 8/12/26 
What if one of hospice’s most valuable community partners has been hiding in plain sight? In Part One of The Healthcare Partnership Nobody Is Talking About: Hospice + FQHCs, Chris Comeaux sits down with Kyle Ahlenstorf, CEO of Infinity Health, to explore the largely untapped opportunity for hospice and palliative care organizations to build meaningful partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).  Kyle brings more than a decade of clinical and executive healthcare experience, with a particular focus on rural healthcare, access, and sustainable patient-centered care. Kyle breaks down what FQHCs actually are, whom they serve, and why their mission aligns so naturally with hospice and palliative care.

Palliative care consults for the oldest-old: A retrospective study of referral patterns, patient characteristics, and clinical outcomes 
Geriatric Nursing; by John Cameron, Kalli Stilos, Anita Chakraborty; 8/11/26
Objective: This study describes the characteristics and outcomes of patients aged 90 and older (the oldest-old) receiving inpatient palliative care consultation at a tertiary care hospital, to identify gaps and opportunities to improve care. ... 
Conclusion: Referrals for specialist palliative care in the oldest-old occur late in hospitalization, predominantly among those with non-cancer illnesses and poor functional status. Systemic changes, including the use of prognostication tools and enhanced collaboration between geriatric and palliative care services, are needed. Nurses are pivotal in advocating for earlier advance care planning (ACP) and identifying patients who would benefit from timely palliative integration to ensure goal-concordant care.

New York clarifies Medicaid moratorium and ownership changes
JD Supra; by Abygail Hoey, Max Lubin, Joseph Parise, Steven Schnelle; 8/11/26 
Following the publication of McDermott Will & Schulte’s August 4, 2026, client alert, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) announced that it had received approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement a plan (the DOH Medicaid Plan) to revamp New York’s Medicaid provider enrollment and revalidation processes in order to improve oversight of the New York Medicaid program. The DOH Medicaid Plan contains information regarding, among other things, new risk designations for certain types of providers, a new Medicaid revalidation process, and the moratorium on Medicaid enrollment for certain types of providers.

Regulatory hurdles slowing hospice acquisitions
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/10/26 
Regulatory uncertainty has been one of the biggest factors influencing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the home health and hospice sectors. In this interview, Cory Mertz, managing partner with the M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart, discusses how the proposed home health payment rule, heightened regulatory scrutiny and compliance expectations are affecting deal activity, as well as the trends shaping the market in 2026.

35 Home-based care companies earn a spot on Inc. 5000 list
Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 8/11/26 
As the U.S. healthcare landscape shifts into the home, home-based care providers are emerging as some of the nation’s most dramatic growth stories. Evidence of this momentum is found on the Inc. 5000 2026 ranking, which featured 35 home-based care organizations as among the fastest-growing private companies in the country. CareChoice, Complete Care Management Services, HealthView Home Healthcare Services and Archer Health are just a few examples of companies that earned a spot on this year’s list. The home-based care companies that made the list offer a range of in-home services, from personal home care and home health to technologies and specialized service lines.

Key trends and implications in healthcare AI adoption 
FTI Consulting; 8/11/26
... In partnership with Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (“HIMSS”), FTI Consulting conducted a detailed assessment of health system perspectives1 and AI utilization to better understand how organizations are navigating this rapidly evolving landscape and where meaningful value is actually being realized. ... 
Figure 1: Three-Quarters of Healthcare Leaders Believe AI Will Fundamentally Change Care Delivery in the Next Few Years; Many Also Believe AI Has the Potential To Materially Reduce the Costs of Delivering Healthcare. ...
Figure 2: What Are the Most Important Objectives Driving Your Organization’s Investments in Artificial Intelligence Technologies? ...
Figure 3: Thinking About the Areas in Which Your Organization Has Implemented AI, Which Have Delivered the Strongest Results in Helping You Achieve Each of the Following Objectives? ... 
Figure 4: Example Value Prioritization Framework for AI Implementation in Healthcare Source: FTI Consulting ...

There's nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as  laughter and good humor. ~ Charles Dickens