National health care fraud takedown results in 455 defendants charged in connection with over $6.5 billion in alleged fraud 
Office of Public Affairs - U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC; Press Release; 6/23/26
Record Medicaid Fraud Charges Largest Number of States Participating in Health Care Fraud Takedown History: The Justice Department today announced the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. Today’s Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history.

Referral and utilization patterns for home-based palliative care services among older adults 
BMC Palliative Care; by Joohyun Chung, Aaron Langlois, TylaAnn Burger, David L Chin; 6/11/26 
Background: Home-based palliative care (HPC) improves quality of life for individuals with serious illness but remains underutilized in the United States, with persistent disparities in access. HPC is also frequently misconceived as appropriate only at the end of life. ...
Results: ... Patients who received HPC were more likely to be older, female, insured through Medicare Part B, and referred from larger hospitals.
Conclusion: These findings underscore ongoing structural disparities in access to home-based palliative care and highlight the need for targeted strategies to improve equitable access to HPC services.

Flying high: A Rainbow veteran’s late-life adventure 
Watertown Daily Times, Watertown, WI; by Kenyon Kemnitz, Rainbow Community Care; 6/24/26 
[The story of a 98 year-old veteran in hospice care going on an Honor Flight to Washington DC.] 
Behind the scenes, the Rainbow [hospice] staff balanced rigorous clinical planning with deep emotional support. Amanda served as the clinical anchor for the mission. Initially, there were discussions about postponing his flight until May, but Raduege advocated for keeping the timeline the same. She coordinated with the Honor Flight’s specialized medical team and ensured that every potential health variable was addressed long before takeoff. ... The Honor Flight carried over 80 veterans, but Weber was the patriarch of the group. ... Throughout the day, he was accompanied by his own personal medic, an EMT named Travis, who stayed by his side, providing a continuous blanket of clinical safety and companionship.

Northern District of Texas charges 13 health care fraudsters for loss over $360 million 
United States Attorney's Office | Northern District of Texas; Press Release; 6/23/26 
Thirteen defendants were among those charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould, during a press conference held earlier today. ... Contributing to the nationwide crackdown, the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting defendants in seven separate cases for crimes that targeted vulnerable patients and exploited taxpayer-funded programs. The Northern District of Texas cases represent collective fraudulent billing of more than $365 million submitted to federally-funded programs and other insurers. The defendants allegedly misappropriated funds intended to serve vulnerable populations—including elderly Medicare beneficiaries and members of the military—to further their own financial interests.

San Antonio woman indicted in $9 million federal Medicare scam 
WOAI-4 NBC, San Antonio, TX; by Amanda Moreno; 6/24/26 
A San Antonio woman has been charged in a federal health care fraud case that involved millions of dollars in improper Medicare claims. Christina Charles, 52, is accused of taking illegal kickbacks in exchange for referring patients to several San Antonio-area hospice companies. According to federal prosecutors, those referrals led to more than $9 million in Medicare claims for hospice services that were not eligible for reimbursement because they were tied to kickbacks. Medicare ultimately paid about $3 million on those claims, according to the indictment.

Hundreds including Iowans implicated in $6.5B health care fraud schemes 
Ames Tribune, Des Moines, IO; by Natalie Neysa Alund and William Morris, USA TODAY; 6/25/26
Hundreds of people and organizations, including several in Iowa, have been charged in connection with global health care fraud schemes totaling a record $6.5 billion, the U.S. Department of Justice says. ... Three of the cases were in Iowa. The largest involves Mercy Health Network, Genesis Health System and Trinity Health Corp., which operate the MercyOne Genesis system based in Davenport. According to the news release, the partners self-reported overuse and overbilling for a specialty heart pump from 2016 to 2022, and agreed to pay more than $4.6 million to the government. ... And prosecutors are criminally charging Jacob Hughes of Cedar Rapids and Hughes Home Care, which did business as Synergy Homecare.

HPCC Announces APHSW-C® Accreditation
Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center; Press Release; 6/25/26On June 10, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted accreditation to the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC) for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs for its Advanced Palliative Hospice Social Worker–Certified (APHSW-C®) program. NCCA sets the national benchmark for high-quality voluntary certification programs across diverse industries. This accreditation affirms that the program has successfully met the stringent standards required for accreditation and is regarded as a trustworthy, vetted credential program. The APHSW-C® program, which has 843 active certificants, is designed for experienced hospice and -palliative social workers. The APHSW-C® examination consists of 150 multiple-choice items, and individuals must meet a set of requirements to be eligible to sit for the exam. Testing windows are available in March, June, September, and December of each year. 

DAI to acquire 24 home health agencies from HCA, ‘doubling down’ on care in the home 
Home Health Care News; by Morgan Gonzales; 6/24/26 
Deaconess Associations Incorporated (DAI) has agreed to acquire 31 home health and hospice agencies – primarily home health – from HCA Healthcare. The agencies, which consist of 24 home health locations and seven hospice locations, are spread across eight states. The deal is part of DAI’s strategic push to ‘double down’ its home health and hospice offerings, DAI CEO Trey Crabb told Home Health Care News. ... The 31 agencies are primarily located in Texas and Florida, with smaller numbers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado. The agencies will become part of Central Pyramid, one of DAI’s four owned subsidiaries, and will retain local brands except in any instances where HCA requires DAI to change the name. ... Cincinnati, Ohio-based DAI is a faith-based, independent, non-profit health care enterprise with an over-$1 billion portfolio of diversified health services, programs, investments and community grant initiatives across the country. The organization operates in 23 states, six of which include home health and hospice offerings. 

A day in the life of a Mayo Clinic medical ethicist 
Healthcare Brew; by Cassie McGrath; 6/24/26 
How should doctors handle end-of-life care or use new medical innovations like genetic technologies? How can they ensure they’re fairly and equally providing healthcare? How can providers build trust with patients? These are just a few of the big questions medical ethicists study and advise on. Richard Sharp, a professor of biomedical ethics at Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, is one of these professionals. For decades, he has been a bridge between patients and providers as well as advocates and innovators to ensure medical practices are safe and fair.

Executive Personnel Changes - 6/26/26

• Bill Dombi, prominent home health care policy advocate, joined the government relations firm Liberty Partners Group as Principal
  
  
• George Mark Children's House in San Leandro, CA has selected Michelle Collier as their new Senior Director of Advancement and Philanthropic Strategic Leader
  
  
• Home Helpers, based in Ohio, has appointed Nick Evans as its new CFO

1937-1946: 250 Years - A History of Care
Hospice & Palliative Care Today; by Joy Berger; for 6/26/26
Read details and explore source links

• 1937–1941: The Gathering Storm
  
  
• 1941-1945: America at War – Saving Lives, Counting Losses
  
  
• 1945: Liberation and the Holocaust - Witnessing the Unthinkable
  
  
• 1945–1946: Aftermath – Wounds Seen and Unseen

Even in darkness, it is possible to create light. ~ Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, Nobel Peace Prize