Hospice Keys

04/30/2026

Did you know that choosing hospice care just a few days earlier could save the Medicare program over $1 billion every year?

A new 2026 study by ATI Advisory shows that earlier hospice election helps patients avoid "futile interventions" and intensive hospital stays, focusing instead on pain management and comfort.

When families have more time with hospice support - even just five extra days - it leads to better outcomes for the patient and significant savings for our healthcare system.

The Institute commissioned ATI Advisory to explore the potential benefits of earlier election to hospice for eligible patients in the final eight weeks of

04/29/2026

Many adults try to protect children by avoiding conversations about death.

But children are already thinking about death. When we don’t talk openly, they often try to figure it out on their own. That can lead to confusion, fear, or even feeling like they did something wrong.

In hospice care, these conversations matter.

We shared a new blog on Hospice Keys about how children understand death, why common phrases can be confusing, and how families and clinicians can better support children before and after a loss.

Grief in children requires a compassionate, research-backed approach. This guide for hospice social workers explores developmental stages and creative tools.

04/28/2026

📢 Industry Update: A potential end to the "All-or-Nothing" Hospice Rule.

The reintroduction of the Hospice CARE Act (and the new Concurrent Care for Comfort Act) aims to address one of the biggest barriers in end-of-life care: the requirement that patients must forgo all curative-intent treatments to access hospice.

Proposed changes for hospice agencies and clinical teams:

- High-Acuity Payment Mechanism: Separate funding for dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation, and blood transfusions. This allows agencies to admit patients with complex needs without the per diem becoming a financial barrier.

- Transitional Respite: A new benefit level to support the high-needs gap during a patient's transition from hospital to home.

- Clinical Flexibility: Expanding the authority for NPs and PAs to certify hospice eligibility.

While these reforms offer a path toward increased patient access, they also come with new "program integrity" measures and oversight.

Read the full breakdown on how these payment add-ons would work.

U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-Penn.) and Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) have introduced the Concurrent Care for Comfort Act, designed to ensure that hospice patients

04/27/2026

Compliance in hospice should not be a separate function. It should be part of how the organization operates every day.

This article highlights some important lessons:

- Don’t just “get through” audits. Learn from them.
- Use audits and TPEs to improve processes.
- Respond to audits in a consistent, structured way.
- Consider a centralized approach to audit responses.

When compliance is integrated into daily operations, it becomes a strength instead of a burden. The goal is not just to pass audits. It’s to get better because of them.

Tami Johnson-White is the newly appointed chief compliance officer for St. Croix Hospice. For her, compliance is about far more than “dotting i’s and

04/24/2026

Oregon has passed a new law focused on strengthening hospice oversight and reducing fraud.

The law introduces several important safeguards:

- New licensing requirements when ownership changes
- Restrictions on ownership for individuals with a history of fraud or exclusion from Medicare/Medicaid
- A temporary pause on new hospice licenses while updated rules are developed

These types of measures are designed to better protect patients and ensure that hospice providers meet appropriate standards from the start.

Summary (2026-04-07) Relating to hospice licensure; and declaring an emergency. [Governor signed.]

04/24/2026

Oregon is now allowing medical ma*****na use in hospice and certain healthcare facilities.

The idea is to give patients more options for comfort especially as an alternative to medications like opioids, which can sometimes make patients very sedated.

But this raises important questions that can provide insight into the value of this alternative treatment:
- Have any clinicians or hospice teams already used this in practice?
- How do patients feel about it?
- How do families react?
- Do providers see it as helpful? Or is it complicated?

Would love to hear real experiences and perspectives.

*****na

Oregon’s governor has signed a bill to allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to access medical ma*****na in certain health facilities such as hospices. Gov. Tina Kotek (D) approved the legislation from Rep. Farrah Chaichi (D) on Tuesday after it cleared the Senate in a 20-8 vote last...

04/22/2026

Is there an "Advocacy Gap" in senior care?

New research from The Journals of Gerontology reveals a sobering trend: divorced seniors are less likely to receive "excellent" end-of-life care compared to their married peers.

From unmanaged pain to challenges with respectful treatment, the lack of a traditional "spousal advocate" can significantly impact care quality.

The study found that while traditional roles are changing, siblings and close friends are becoming vital "decision partners" in ensuring a good death.

Read our latest blog for a discussion on navigating end-of-life care for individuals who lack a strong traditional social network.

Does marital status affect the quality of hospice care? A new study shows why social networks, including siblings and friends, are vital for a 'good death.'

04/22/2026

Advance care planning is not just for older adults — and it does NOT mean less care.

Too many people still think advance directives are only for end-of-life.

They’re not.

Advance care planning helps people get the care they actually want if they can’t speak for themselves.

One of the most important first steps:
✔ Choose a health care proxy
✔ Make sure that person knows your wishes
✔ Have the conversation before a crisis happens

The goal is not less care. The goal is the right care.

Podcast

04/21/2026

A case from 50 years ago still shapes end-of-life care today.

The Karen Ann Quinlan case is one of the most important legal and ethical milestones in modern healthcare. As highlighted in this article, the 1976 New Jersey Supreme Court ruling helped establish a patient’s right to refuse unwanted life-sustaining treatment. The case reinforced that families may make decisions for loved ones who can no longer speak for themselves. It also helped pave the way for advance directives and hospital ethics committees that are now central to healthcare decision-making.

For hospice professionals, this history matters. It serves as a reminder why:
✔ Advance care planning is so important
✔ Goals-of-care conversations should happen early
✔ Patient wishes should guide care at the end of life

If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: don’t wait until a crisis to talk about what matters most.

(ANALYSIS) March 31 marks 50 years since a landmark decision that shapes American patients’ rights every day: the New Jersey Supreme Court ruling in the case of Karen Ann Quinlan, who had suffered an irreversible coma. Quinlan’s case established for the first time that decisions near the end of ...

04/20/2026

Ever wonder why hospice paperwork has changed so much over the years?

From the very first Medicare benefit in 1983 to the new HOPE tool we are using today, the goal has always been to prove the incredible value of hospice care. Our new blog post takes a look back at the history of hospice quality reporting and what these changes mean for your agency and your patients in 2026.

Read our latest blog to see the 40-year journey.

Trace the 40-year history of the Medicare Hospice Benefit, from the 1983 foundation to the 2025 HOPE tool, and understand the shift toward value-based care.

04/17/2026

A lot has changed since 1983!

We created this timeline for our latest Hospice Keys blog to show the "Big Picture" of hospice care. While the heart of hospice - compassionate care - remains the same, the "Keys" to staying compliant and successful have evolved.

From the first Medicare benefit to today's HOPE assessments, see how the hospice benefit has evolved.

Full story here: https://tinyurl.com/3bd4bevc

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04/16/2026

New to Hospice Leadership? Don't let the billing process overwhelm your clinical mission.

Most financial "leaks" are preventable paperwork errors. Our latest blog breaks down 7 essential questions to help you audit your agency's Hospice Billing Workflow.

From tracking NOE deadlines to managing sequential billing, learn exactly what to look for to ensure your agency stays solvent and compliant.

Master hospice revenue cycle oversight. 7 essential questions for hospice leadership to audit NOE timeliness, clean claim rates, and sequential billing discipline.