Literature Review

A month’s worth of fraud busting in 10 notable quotesHealthExec; by Dave Pearson; 5/26/26This month, HHS’s Senior Medicare Patrol program designated the first workweek of June Medicare Fraud Prevention Week... Ahead of June 1 to 5, here’s a timeline of fraud-related news, views and developments as captured in concise statements uttered or written in May. [See article for all 10 quotes.]

Minster Baseball Hospice Night raises record $8,000 for Grand Lake Hospice Mercer County Outlook, Minster, OH; by Mercer County Outlook Staff; 5/30/26 The Minster Wildcats baseball program once again brought the community together for a meaningful cause during its annual “Minster Baseball Hospice Night,” raising a record $8,000 this year to benefit Grand Lake Hospice. ... In addition to fundraising, Hospice Night serves as a time of remembrance and recognition for local families who have been touched by hospice care. The Minster baseball program continues to honor those individuals, reinforcing the personal connections that make the event so impactful. 

CMS reportedly unresponsive to hospice payment suspension rebuttals Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 5/29/26 The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been largely unresponsive to hospices’ rebuttals to payment suspensions due to suspicion of fraud. Legitimate hospice providers are being swept into CMS’ broader fraud crackdown, with some agencies reportedly facing payment suspensions severe enough to force closures. ... Hospice News has spoken with 10 hospices that have received suspension letters; each indicated that the block on their payments was based on a single metric — live discharges. Suspended hospices have the ability to file a rebuttal seeking to have the payment freeze reversed. However, to date, few hospices have received any response from CMS or its Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPIC).

CMS myth vs. fact: what hospice and home health providers need to know about the new Medicare enrollment moratoria JD Supra; by Stephen Angelette, Mary Canavan, Simran Nijjar, Ross Sallade, Elizabeth Tucker, and Deja Williams; 5/26/26 [Responding to the CMS nationwide six-month moratoria barring new Medicare enrollments for hospice and home health agencies (HHAs), effective May 13 ... ] Any actions that trigger an initial Medicare enrollment are prohibited during the moratoria. This can include changes in ownership, new practice locations, additions of provider types, or other transactions requiring a new enrollment application.In this alert, we address common myths surrounding the moratoria and key considerations for providers during the six-month period. Guest Editor's Note, Judi Lund Person: Review this guidance for application to your hospice or home health planning, including mergers, acquisitions, and establishment of new practice locations or new branches.   

Adoration Home Health and Hospice and At Home Care Hospice celebrates ribbon-cutting in Henrico, VA BrightSpring Health Services; Press Release; 5/28/26On Tuesday, May 19, Adoration Home Health and Hospice and At Home Care Hospice, an Adoration Partner, hosted an open house and ribbon cutting celebration for the opening of their new location at 8751 Park Central Drive. 

New Iowa law allows ‘adult close friend’ to make end-of-life medical decisions KCRG-9 ABC, Iowa City, IA; by Lacey Reeves; 5/28/26 Starting in July, a close adult friend can make end-of-life medical decisions for someone who is unable to make them themselves under a new Iowa state law. When a patient can’t make medical decisions for themselves, a hierarchy establishes who can make the decisions for them. Typically a spouse, adult child or adult sibling of the patient can make those decisions. “Not everybody has a family member who is available, willing, capable to make decisions for them,” said Sara Krieger, CEO of Iowa City Hospice. Iowa City Hospice said it has been working for years to add “close adult friend” to that list through legislation.

State grant supports Navian Hawai'i, expands access to hospice careNavian Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; Press Release; 5/14/26 As federal funding uncertainty continues to impact health care providers nationwide, the Hawaiʻi State Legislature has approved a $450,000 grant-in-aid to Navian Hawaii. The funds will be used to renovate the nonprofit organization’s Kailua Home, helping expand access to hospice care and potentially increase Medicare funding for the state. The funding was included in the state’s supplemental budget bill finalized April 30, which outlines operating and capital improvement priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. The measure comes amid broader federal budget concerns, including proposed cuts to Medicaid under H.R. 1.

First do no harm: communication surrounding non-beneficial treatments American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Cassie Stanzler, MD, Adam Marks, MD, MPH, and Laura Taylor, MD, MSc; 5/21/26 Despite a consensus in the medical community that clinicians should not offer non-beneficial treatments (NBTs) to their patients, little guidance exists on the particular communication needs around this fraught topic. While intended in the spirit of non-maleficence, setting limits around NBTs can be seen by patients and families as abandonment, resulting in conflict. In this paper, we propose a framework to guide Palliative Care clinicians in communicating about these complex issues with patients and families. ... Our framework emphasizes proactive relationship building with patients and families, close attention to their values, and compassionate limit-setting when medically appropriate. 

NMAHHC supports efforts to combat fraud — warns against unintended harm to patient access Roswell Daily Record, Albuquerque, NM; Press Release; 5/28/26 The New Mexico Association for Home & Hospice Care (NMAHHC) expressed support for federal efforts to address fraud and abuse within the Medicare home health and hospice programs ... However, the association urges policymakers and regulators to ensure enforcement efforts remain targeted and evidence-based so compliant providers and vulnerable patients are not harmed in the process.

How to transform a health system’s organizational culture and hardwire it for the futureNEJM Catalyst; by Brian Carlson, Nancy M. Lorenzi, Paul Sternberg, Jr., Cassandra Hennessy, Dandan Liu; 4/26Organizational culture is a critical driver of workforce and patient experience, yet health care institutions often struggle to sustain their desired culture over time. In 2017, Vanderbilt Health identified inconsistencies in expected workforce behaviors through patient feedback, prompting the creation of a strategic cultural renewal initiative. The resulting program, Defining Personalized Care, had a 4-year road map of seven e-learning modules designed to reinforce core values and improve interpersonal behaviors across the workforce. This single-center pre–post study revealed statistically significant improvements in patient experience scores, particularly in the communication and courtesy domains. The initiative demonstrated that engaging, relevant content combined with visible support from leadership can drive voluntary participation and generate measurable outcomes. This case study offers a replicable framework for health care organizations seeking to hardwire their cultural expectations and align workforce behaviors with patient-centered care goals.

Potential adjunctive role of osteopathic manipulative medicine in the management of cancer-related bone pain: A narrative reviewCureus; by Ambrose Loc T. Ngo, Niki Gharavi Alkhansari, Chi Pham, Hong Nguyen, Monica Rubi, David Tanner; 4/26Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) is known for its therapeutic potential on the musculoskeletal system, and its emerging role and potential benefits in oncology care are gaining attention. Patients with primary and metastatic bone cancer tend to experience pain, restricted movement, and lower quality of life due to the pathology and its treatment. This narrative review examines the mechanistic rationale and available clinical evidence supporting the use of OMM in the management of pain and functional impairment among patients with bone malignancies. Limited clinical studies suggest that select OMM techniques, including myofascial release (MFR), gentle soft tissue methods, and lymphatic approaches, may contribute to improvements in pain perception, mobility, and fatigue in oncology populations.

New! Pediatric e-Journal Issue #83National Alliance for Care at Home press release; 5/20/26The focus of the 83rd issue and the one that immediately preceded it is on topics that relate to trauma and trauma-informed care. This issue specifically addresses trauma and trauma-informed care as they involve providers and care teams.

Public Notice: Nine compete to develop hospice home care office in McDowell County North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; 5/11/26 Nine applicants have filed certificate of need applications with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop a hospice home care office in response to a need determination in the 2026 State Medical Facilities Plan (SMFP). Each applicant proposes one project.