Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures - Annual Report 
Alzheimer's Association; Press Release; 4/22/26 
Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures (PDF), an annual report released by the Alzheimer's Association, reveals the burden of Alzheimer's and dementia on individuals, caregivers, government and the nation's health care system. Download the following:

• Full 2026 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures: statistical resource for U.S. data related to Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. (146 pages)
• The accompanying special report, Brain Health in America: Understanding and Supporting Lifelong Cognitive Health (PDF), offers new insight into how Americans understand, prioritize and act on the desire to sustain brain health across their lives.  (48 pages)
• Infographic: 2026 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures (1 page)

1520ai and Hospice Analytics announce strategic combination to advance data-driven hospice care and AI innovation
1520ai & Hospice Analytics press release; by Mark Cohen, Ernesto Lopez, Cordt Kassner; 4/28/26
1520ai and Hospice Analytics today announced that Hospice Analytics will become part of 1520ai and the broader simPAL Solutions family, bringing together Hospice Analytics’ hospice data expertise with 1520ai’s vision for a new generation of hospice-native AI capabilities designed to help providers turn data into better decisions and improved care. Hospice Analytics will maintain its core branding, products, and services while operating as part of 1520ai. Founder and longtime leader Cordt Kassner will continue to lead operations and guide the organization’s ongoing work with hospice providers across the country. “This builds on Hospice Analytics’ long-established foundation of innovation, expertise, and reliability,” said Ernesto Lopez, CEO of 1520ai. “Cordt and his team have earned deep trust in the hospice community by turning complex data into meaningful, actionable insights. Together, we have an opportunity to integrate AI into that work and create tools that help hospice leaders make better decisions, improve operations, and support better care for patients and families.” [Also posted on PR Newswire.]

Midland Care expands care model with VMA acquisition 
Midland Care; Press Release; 4/13/26 
Midland Care Connection has announced that its subsidiary, Midland Care Physician Services, has acquired Vintage Medical Associates (VMA), a primary care practice focused on serving older adults across northeast Kansas. This acquisition allows Midland Care to more closely coordinate medical and support services, enable streamlined care transitions, and improve communication among providers. Shawn Sullivan, President and CEO of Midland Care, “This acquisition strengthens our strategy to expand access to integrated, person-centered care for older adults.”

Not just California: A national hospice ‘Blue Book’ is needed to fight fraud
The Hill; by Robin Heffernan; 4/22/26
Congress has finally decided to wade into the deep waters of hospice fraud in California. That is a good thing. But what members need to know is that this problem is not new, and it is not confined to one state. What’s more, enforcement alone will not solve it — what is desperately needed is more prevention... What is missing is a so-called “Blue Book” for the hospice industry — an ongoing, up-to-date reference of providers and their quality performance, to distinguish high-quality providers from those that should not be in the program. The data for this already exists. Claims patterns, visit reliability, length of stay, revocation rates and patient experience can make outliers visible early. Unfortunately, that information is not consistently surfaced or used at the point where decisions are made.
Publisher's note: I wholeheartedly agree with Robin’s insightful article and strongly encourage everyone to explore the National Hospice Locator. This valuable resource represents a meaningful step forward in improving access to compassionate end-of-life care. Also, Robin has participated in several Teleios Collaborative Network TCNtalks podcasts. [Robin Heffernan is co-founder and chief executive of Empassion Health.]

The Alliance and the Research Institute for Home Care Release Inaugural Medicaid Home Care Chartbook 
National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 4/27/26 
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and the Research Institute for Home Care (the Institute) today released the 2026 Medicaid Home Care Chartbook, the first report of its kind providing a broad overview of the Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) user population, workforce, organizational trends, and economic contributions of Medicaid home care providers across the U.S. 

[Canada] Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) Blueprint for Action 2025-2030 
Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC); 4/24/26 
The Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) released the Blueprint for Action 2025–2030, a national roadmap that identifies key priorities needed to ensure that more people in Canada have access to high-quality, culturally safer, and affordable palliative care. 

1. Engaged, Informed Public ...
2. Skilled, Supported Care Providers ...
3. Knowledge to Improve Quality of Care and Life ...
4. Equitable Access to High Quality Palliative Care for All ...

Arizona wound graft cases 
LundPerson & Associates Hospice Consulting - Enforcement Briefing; by Judi Lund Person; 4/23/26
Hospice Patient Targeting - Detailed Case Card

• USA v. Gehreke & King (Apex Medical LLC), Phoenix, AZ: Billed $1.2B - Paid $615M. Sentenced Oct 2026
• Gehrke and King deployed medically untrained sales reps into hospices, group homes, and ALFs to find elderly Medicare patients with wounds of any kind. ...
• Hospice Connections ... 
• USA v. Kontos, Kupetz & Kinds, Mesa / Scottsdale / Phoenix, AZ: Billed $1B+ - Paid $600M+
• A copycat of the Gehrke/King model ...
• Why These Cases Are Classified as 'Related' ...
• Shared Scheme Elements ...
• Case Timeline ...
• Total Combined Exposure ...

NPHI statement on “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud” hearing
National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, Washington, DC; Press Release; 4/22/26 
The National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) supports the continued focus by Congress and the Administration on addressing fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare hospice benefit. NPHI’s policy team, led by Ethan McChesney and joined by Quin Lyons, attended the House Ways & Means Full Committee hearing titled “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud,” on April 21, reinforcing NPHI’s active engagement on this issue. ... “Fraud in hospice is not a theoretical concern – it is happening in real time, and patients and families are paying the price,” said Tom Koutsoumpas, Founder and CEO of NPHI. “We are seeing entire markets impacted by actors who have no connection to the communities they claim to serve. These fraudulent actors must be rooted out of the system — at once."

[For the public] How to protect yourself from hospice fraud 
CalMatters; by Lynn La; 4/29/26 
... What does hospice fraud entail and how can you protect yourself? ... To avoid being scammed:

• Medicare Care Compare provides quality scores and a phone directory for legitimate hospice providers. 
• Safeguard personal information including your Medicare ID number and Social Security number.
• Doublecheck Medicare summary notices and explanation of benefits to ensure accuracy.
• If you think you’re a victim of fraud, call the state’s Senior Medicare Patrol line, a federally-funded helpline that can help you disenroll from services you did not request.

Editor's Note: Additionally, examine the National Hospice Locator for information with quality scores, designed for use by the public.

Discontinuation of medications with limited benefit at end of life in community-dwelling older veterans
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Joshua M Thorpe, Kelvin A Tran, Sherrie L Aspinall, Shelli L Feder, Brystana G Kaufman, Ann Kutney-Lee, Maria K Mor, Loren J Schleiden, Florentina E Sileanu, Carolyn T Thorpe, Courtney H Van Houtven; 4/26
Discontinuation of medications with limited benefits (LBM) in patients nearing the end of life can reduce burden, adverse events, and costs, and enhance quality of life. However, most research on end-of-life prescribing has focused on nursing homes or hospice settings. [This study setting was] community-residing, non-hospice older veterans. Among community-dwelling older veterans in their final year of life, 73% were receiving at least one LBM at the start of that year, and 78% of these individuals continued LBM use until death. These rates parallel those reported in long-term care populations and underscore the need for community-based healthcare providers to routinely screen for LBMs and support appropriate medication discontinuation in older patients with advanced illnesses and limited life expectancy.

An open letter on stopping fraud before it starts 
Community Health Accreditation Partners (CHAP); by Teresa Harbour and Nathan J. DeGodt; 4/22/26 
Recent testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee underscored a truth that many in healthcare have long understood. Preventing fraud requires stopping bad actors before they enter the system. We agree. At CHAP, that principle has guided our decisions for decades. Accreditation integrity is maintained at the front end of the process through disciplined, patient‑centered safeguards. ... CHAP did not accredit any hospice or home health organizations operating from the notorious Friar Street address highlighted in recent media coverage and congressional hearing. ... Before any organization advances in our accreditation process, CHAP conducts address validation and ownership verification. These steps are designed to surface red flags early, including multiple agencies operating from a single location, overlapping leadership, or staffing structures. When those reviews raised concerns related to applications at the Friar Street address, CHAP did not move forward.

No debt, ideal weight, 8 hours of sleep, mental health on track, right nutrition, zero alcohol. This was my peak. I was 8. ~Unknown