California hospice fraud: What to know as blame game erupts 
Newsweek; by Jasmine Laws; 3/11/26, updated 3/12/26 
The social media platform X has been awash with criticism targeted at California Governor Gavin Newsom as a CBS News report detailed the extent of the state's hospice fraud problem. Newsom's office has been hitting back at the comments, reminding users that the state "cracked down on hospice fraud years ago," and has been pointing the finger at President Donald Trump, as his administration paused a hospice oversight program at the start of 2025. ... Responding to Newsom's office's comments, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Newsweek: "No one cares about Newscum’s boring X posts ..." While California has been in the spotlight for its hospice fraud, it is not the only state experiencing the problem—it is a nationwide issue. ... A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General in 2023 found that suspected hospice fraud amounts totaled an estimated $198.1 million nationwide. However, some states in particular have seen a surge in new operators, namely California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas, meaning these states are considered hotspots for potential hospice fraud.
Editor's Note: This article aptly names the deeply partisan “blame game” now playing out across many media outlets. Hospice fraud is not a partisan issue—it is a human one. When hospice is exploited, it erodes trust in a field built on compassion and dignity at life’s most vulnerable moments. Political finger-pointing may generate headlines, but it does little to solve the problem. Stopping hospice fraud requires accountability, strong oversight, and a shared commitment to protect patients—and the integrity of hospice care itself.

Van Nuys address linked to nearly 200 hospice agencies, lawmaker says 
NBC Los Angeles-4, Los Angeles, CA; by City News Service; 3/11/26 
A Van Nuys building is listed as the registered address for 197 hospice agencies, according to a state lawmaker who said Wednesday the discovery raises questions about oversight of California's hospice licensing system. Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo, R-Tulare, said the agencies are registered at 14545 Friar St., where she said she visited the property after reviewing licensing records. ... The lawmaker said the situation highlights potential gaps in the state's oversight of hospice providers under Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration. In a statement to NBCLA, Newsom's office said the governor "cracked down on hospice fraud years." ... The statement did not comment on Macedo's findings at the Van Nuys building. NBCLA has also reached out to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for comment.

Hospice fraud explodes in California after state ‘crackdown’: 742 flagged providers, $105 million overbilled, and ghost offices 
California Globe; by Megan Barth; 3/11/26 
California investigative reporter Christian Hartsock, in collaboration with California State Assembly woman Alexandra Macedo for the California Courier, released a breaking undercover investigation just days ago, exposing dozens of suspicious hospice and home healthcare agencies in Los Angeles. Their on-site visits revealed hundreds of companies registered to crumbling buildings with no ramps, no handicap parking, disconnected phones, and signs reading “Out to Lunch.” Hartsock’s footage highlights how over $3.5 billion in Medi-Cal fraud has been identified in Los Angeles County alone, with 31% of all U.S. hospices registered there despite only 2% of the nation’s aging seniors residing in the area. 

Sovereign Hospice guides Dallas-Fort Worth families through hospital discharge 
The Malone Telegram, Aubrey, TX; by Baaba Sampson; 3/12/26 
Families facing hospital discharge for a loved one with a terminal illness often feel overwhelmed by the sudden shift in care responsibilities. Sovereign Hospice addresses this challenge by providing seamless coordination between hospital teams and home-based hospice services. The organization serves all counties within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, offering same-day admission and round-the-clock support.

• How Hospice Supports Hospital-to-Home Transitions ...
• The Role of an Interdisciplinary Team in Hospice Services ...
• Why Response Time Matters ...

Aetna agrees to pay $117.7 million to resolve false claims act allegations
DOJ press release; 3/11/26
Aetna Inc., a national insurer incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay $117,700,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting or failing to withdraw inaccurate and untruthful diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees in order to increase its payments from Medicare.

Hospice nurse weekend visit rates, by state 
Becker's Hospital Review; by Elizabeth Gregerson; 3/11/26 
... CMS collects skilled nursing visit data, submitted directly by hospice providers, from Medicare hospice claims, and from the Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey, through the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. The national percentage of hospice nurse visits provided during the weekend was 9.6%. Here are the percentage of weekend skilled nursing minutes provided between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2024, by state, according to CMS: ...

Webinar for free CME/CE credit: Determining prognosis in cancer and non-cancer diagnosis 
VITAS Healthcare; Press Release; for 3/18/26, 1pm EDT 
Supported by evidence-based data, this webinar will help physicians and healthcare professionals identify hospice-eligible patients with advanced illnesses, including cancer, cardiac disease, lung disease, dementia, liver disease, stroke, and HIV/AIDS. Attendees will explore trajectories of dying, functional decline, and factors that support accurate diagnoses and prognoses for cancer and other key diseases that lead to hospice referrals. ... Presented by Lauren Loftis, MD

New partnership could create largest nonprofit hospice provider in North Texas, expand services
KERA News; by Abigail Ruhman; 3/11/26
A new partnership between two nonprofit providers could expand hospice care services in North Texas as the state’s population of older adults continues to grow. Forefront Living, a nonprofit senior living facility with more than 100 patients, will wind down its hospice care as the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, or VNA, becomes its preferred partner for the service. VNA will also take over management of Dallas’ first independent, residential hospice care center.

Dignity in motion: How hospice care and wheelchair transportation shape senior comfort in Tacoma 
US Culture & Style Today, Tacoma, WA; Press RElease; 3/11/26 
For seniors approaching the most sensitive stages of life, the quality of care is defined not only by what happens inside a home or medical facility but also by how individuals move between places. Transportation during hospice care and assisted living transitions must protect dignity, emotional calm, and physical safety. When medical transportation is handled with respect and patience, the entire care experience becomes gentler for both seniors and their families. ... 

"Black box" artificial intelligence for mortality prediction: a mixed-methods study of palliative care team, patient, and caregiver perspectives 
Annals of Palliative Medicine; by Beatrice Bridge, Ahmed Y Alasmar, Lauren Gunn-Sandell, Regina M Fink, Stacy M Fischer, Elizabeth Juarez-Colunga, Eric G Campbell, Matthew DeCamp; 2/26/26 
Background: New artificial intelligence (AI)-based mortality prediction algorithms could support both patients' prognostic awareness and person-centered palliative care. ...
Results: Among 53 interviewees, 18 expressed only concern about black box AI-based prognostication, 17 expressed only unconcern, and 18 interviewees expressed mixed sentiments. Reasons for concern related to: data transparency, mistrust of machines or their creators, patient-clinician communication, bias, and accuracy. Reasons for unconcern related to: inexplicability not unique to AI, greater accuracy, not using AI in isolation, trust in science, and being evidence-based. Notably, "accuracy" and "trust" appeared in both.
Editor's Note: Pair this with today's post, "Nursing's moral agency cannot be outsourced to AI, study warns."

Nursing's moral agency cannot be outsourced to AI, study warns 
Medical Xpress; by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing; 3/10/26 
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly integrates into clinical settings—from predicting patient outcomes to deploying humanoid "robotic nurses"—an article published in the Hastings Center Report warns that the core of nursing, its moral agency, must remain a human-driven responsibility. The article, What Does Moral Agency Mean for Nurses in the Era of Artificial Intelligence?, explores the growing tension between advanced algorithmic capabilities and the ethical obligations of the world's most trusted profession. While AI systems can now simulate empathy and generate context-aware responses, Penn Nursing's Connie M. Ulrich, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, the Lillian S. Brunner Chair in Medical and Surgical Nursing, Professor of Nursing, and Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, and her co-authors argue that AI lacks sentience, intentionality, and accountability. The authors define a moral agent as a person capable of discerning right from wrong and being held accountable for their actions.

Nothing will happen on Friday the 13th that cannot happen on Saturday the 14th.