Report: Over 40% of hospice centers in L.A. County ‘show multiple indicators’ of fraudulent activity 
One America News; by Addie Davis; 3/13/26 
Over 700 of the roughly 1,800 hospice agencies in Los Angeles County show multiple state identified indicators of fraud, according to an analysis by CBS News. A 2022 California state audit highlights a staggering 1,500% surge in hospice agencies since 2010. By 2019, Los Angeles County’s density of hospice centers reached six and a half times the national average relative to its elderly population — a saturation point linked to an estimated $105 million in Medicare overbilling, according to CBS News.

Now open: VITAS Healthcare inpatient hospice care at Oak Manor 
PR Newswire, Largo, FL; by VITAS Healthcare; 3/16/26 
Residents in Pinellas County now have improved access to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care with the opening of VITAS Healthcare inpatient care at Oak Manor in Largo. As the first VITAS inpatient center in the region, the facility strengthens the continuum of care for people facing terminal illness by providing around-the-clock clinical support in a comfortable, supportive environment. The center features 12 private patient rooms designed to offer comfort, dignity and support for patients and families. The facility ... is expected to care for more than 400 patients and their families each year. 

Hospice of Humboldt announces $250,000 matching gift 
My Humboldt Life, Eureka, CA; 3/15/26 
Hospice of Humboldt is pleased to announce a $250,000 matching gift from the owners of Premier Financial Group to support the continued growth of its Home-Based Palliative Care program. ... Launched in 2022, Hospice of Humboldt’s Home-Based Palliative Care program currently serves 70 patients and meeting the next fundraising goal will allow them to expand to 140 individuals. “Nearly 30 years ago, our founders set out to model how organizations can invest meaningfully in their communities through a strong culture of giving,” said Wayne Caldwell, CFP®, Chairman of the Board and Founder of Premier Financial Group. 

Pediatric Resource Guide
The HAP Foundation press release; 3/16/26
Our team with the Lynda P. Bollman’s Pediatric Program collected as many resources as we could find to assist patients, families, and practitioners. Our goal is for this Resource Guide to be an efficient and effective tool to aid in caring for children with a serious illness and their families navigating their journey... The Pediatric Resource Guide is divided into several categories (i.e., financial support, transportation support, emotional wellness support, etc.) to ease navigation. You will also be able to break some sections into subcategories (i.e., Midwest, East, West, etc.)...

Red Oak Hospice and Palliative Care announces enhanced initiatives prioritizing resident safety and wellness in Bridgeton, NJ 
96.7 3WZ-FM; 3/13/26 
A leading provider of compassionate end-of-life services is proud to announce its latest initiatives focused on enhancing resident safety and wellness. These updates reflect the organization’s deep commitment to the dignity and well-being of every patient, ensuring a supportive environment for families throughout the care journey. ... "Our guiding principles are centered on respect, integrity, and personalized care," our team stated. "By prioritizing resident safety and wellness, we aim to instill a sense of calm and confidence in our families."

Is hospice over-sedating my mom? 
AgingCare; by Ginger May; 3/11/26 
This might be a common question. Mom was signed on to hospice nine days ago. ... Prior to hospice, she was alert and going down to meals each day and participating in conversations. ... Hospice recommended a small dose of morphine to reduce the cough and as they explained "to relax the airway." [Descriptions of her mother's decline. ...] Yesterday, I talked to the hospice nurse and told her I thought it was too much. The nurse disagreed and said mom needed it to prevent "air hunger" and is more comfortable with it than without it. I felt like if I disagreed too much, I was depriving my mother of "comfort."
Editor's Note: Yes—this is a common question. Families often wonder whether medications intended for comfort are instead taking their loved one away too quickly. Leaders, listen carefully to this daughter’s experience with the hospice nurse. When families question a medication or express fear, what actually happens next? Are their concerns welcomed? Or, dismissed and perhaps even debated? Communication at the bedside does more than explain care. It shapes whether families carry trust—or regret—into bereavement.

Alliance concerned by MedPAC’s misguided 2026 home health and hospice payment recommendations 
National Alliance for Care at Home, Alexandira, VA and Washington, DC; Press Release; 3/13/26
The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is deeply concerned by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s (MedPAC) March 2026 Report to Congress: Medicare Payment Policy. MedPAC’s congressionally mandated report provides analysis and recommendations on various Medicare programs, including home health and hospice. The Commission’s findings focus on payment adequacy, access to care, quality, financial performance, and projections for 2026 and beyond. The Alliance previously expressed concern in response to MedPAC’s vote in January 2026.

Leveraging AI, automation, and data analytics in a hospice setting 
HealthTech; by Lindsay Myers; 3/13/26 
In the hospice setting, the revenue cycle is not only complex but also uniquely fragile, as billing cannot proceed without complete documentation. The sequential nature of hospice billing, where one month’s claims must be fully processed before the next can begin, means that even minor deficiencies can halt revenue entirely. Small delays or errors upstream can have a profound impact on cash flow. ... To improve this process, the Chapters Health System is developing an AI-driven chart review process to analyze the completeness of clinical and other documentation in real time. The goal is to identify missing or inconsistent elements and route those issues directly to the party that can make corrections ...

When using AI leads to “brain fry”
Harvard Business Review; by Julie Bedard, Matthew Kropp, Megan Hsu, Olivia T. Karaman, Jason Hawes, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman; 3/5/26
A new study finds that certain patterns of AI use are driving cognitive fatigue, while others can help reduce burnout... Firms are incentivizing employees to build and oversee complex teams of agents—for example, by measuring and rewarding token consumption as a proxy for performance. Meta, for one, includes the number of lines of code generated by AI as a performance metric for engineers. As enterprises use more multi-agent systems, employees find themselves toggling between more tools. Contrary to the promise of having more time to focus on meaningful work, juggling and multitasking can become the definitive features of working with AI... The literature is filled with mixed signals on the relationship between AI and worker burnout. (Burnout is as a state of chronic workplace stress consisting of exhaustion, negative feelings about work, and decreased effectiveness on the job.) Some studies suggest that using AI to replace tiring tasks alleviates exhaustion; other studies, sometimes on the same populations, show AI use worsening burnout outcomes... This highlights the subtle-but-important distinction between the types of stress that AI can alleviate, and those that it may worsen. Our findings are both a guide and a warning.

Drew Brees visit delights Saints fan living final days in hospice care in Southern California 
Fox 8, New Orleans; by Ken Daley; 3/14/26 
Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees this week paid a surprise visit to a devoted Saints fan living out his final days at a hospice care facility in Southern California. According to social media posts from the Southern California Hospice Foundation, a 48-year-old man identified as Eddie likely has 1-2 weeks to live after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and undergoing four surgeries in the past month that were unable to improve his prognosis. The initial post last Tuesday said Eddie had been transferred to the Heavenly Home hospice in Mission Viejo, an Orange County community between Los Angeles and San Diego. It said Eddie was originally from New Orleans, has always been a devoted fan of the Saints, and especially admired Brees. The post said one of his final wishes was simply to meet an NFL player.

Unilateral DNR? Gina Piscitello, Erin DeMartino, Will Parker
GeriPAL podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Gina Piscitello, Erin DeMartino, Will Parker; 2/19/26
Do you think your hospital should allow unilateral DNR orders? Under what circumstances? Through what process? Do you think that when you obtain the assent of a family to not code their loved one, that assent DNR should be counted as a unilateral DNR order? Should we document unilateral DNR and the rationale? Why for DNR, when we don’t document unilateral dialysis not offered, or unilateral no ECMO offered? Is the assent of a family member to a statement that we will not code their loved one a nudge, and is the assent approach ethical? Reasonable people will disagree, as we do on this podcast.

Top o' the mornin' to ya! May your coffee be strong and your day be lucky! ~ Happy St. Patrick's Day from Hospice & Palliative Care Today