Hospice Keys, 2 University Plaza Suite 100, Hackensack, NJ (2026)

03/15/2026

This newly released investigative report from CBS News highlights deeply troubling hospice fraud in California.

Reports of fraudulent hospice providers in California have surfaced repeatedly over the past several years. Yet, despite widespread awareness of the problem, it appears that many of these bad actors are still operating.

This is disturbing for several reasons.

Fraudulent providers exploit vulnerable patients and families at one of the most sensitive times in life. They also damage trust in hospice care - a field built on compassion, integrity, and ethical care.

Reporting on these problems is important. But exposure alone is not enough.

There must be meaningful enforcement and decisive action to remove fraudulent providers from the system.

The patients and families who rely on hospice care deserve better.

A CBS News analysis of records for every hospice operating in Los Angeles County finds indications of fraud are growing.

03/13/2026

A recent report highlighted an important issue in serious illness care: the potential mismatch between a patient’s goals and the care they believe they are receiving.

In a study of more than 1,000 patients, 37% of patients with advanced cancer who said they preferred comfort-focused care reported receiving life-extending treatment instead.

This raises important questions:

- Do patients clearly understand the intent of the treatments they are receiving?
- Are clinicians and patients aligned when discussing goals of care?
- How often do preferences change as illness progresses?
- What systems help ensure treatment reflects what matters most to the patient?

These are important questions for clinicians, patients, and families alike.

Dr Maurie Markman discusses new data showing that many patients with advanced cancer perceive a mismatch between their comfort-focused goals and the care they receive.

03/12/2026

A recent Washington Post article highlights several important themes shaping the national conversation around physician-assisted dying and end-of-life care.

The piece surfaces key tensions:

- Personal autonomy and control
- The role of hospice and palliative care in relieving suffering
- Concerns about inequities, financial pressures, and system failures
- What dignity truly means at the end of life

Regardless of where one stands on policy, hospice professionals face these realities daily - fear of suffering, anxiety about burdening loved ones, and questions about access to high-quality care.

The broader discussion invites reflection on how our healthcare system and our society respond to serious illness.

Readers on the medical aid in dying debate and end-of-life care.

03/11/2026

Is Generative AI about to influence hospice care?

In our latest HospiceKeys blog, we explore that question.

This is not an endorsement of GenAI. It is not a call for automation in end-of-life care. Instead, it is a reflection on whether emerging AI tools could reduce caregiver anxiety, reinforce care plan consistency, and support clinicians without replacing human judgment.

Hospice is relational at its core. Any technology discussion must begin there.

The goal of this piece is simple: to think critically about where AI may support care and where guardrails are essential.

Explore how GenAI in healthcare is shifting to clinical work. Learn how AI care-copilots can manage clinical noise and support hospice family caregivers.

03/10/2026

I came across a really fascinating narrative review of recent Medical Aid in Dying academic literature that maps out who is writing about MAiD - their stance (pro/con), affiliations, and how these patterns have shifted over time.

Rather than taking a position, the paper highlights interesting trends in the scholarly conversation itself.

If you’re curious about how research in a deeply complex area like MAiD is evolving, and how academic voices vary, this is worth a look.

Medical aid in dying (MAiD) is a practice in which a healthcare professional provides assistance to a terminally ill patient seeking to end their life. To assess how academic discourse may shape public opinion and policy in the United States, we conducted a narrative review of the literature publish...

03/09/2026

Oregon is considering pausing new hospice licenses to curb potential fraud.

There is broad agreement across healthcare: fraud in hospice must be identified and eliminated. States with a high number of elderly residents can become targets for bad actors exploiting Medicare.

But an important question remains: How do we protect patients from fraud while still ensuring access to hospice care, especially in rural communities?

Hospice agencies already operate within complex regulatory frameworks. Adding layers of oversight may deter fraudulent providers but it may also unintentionally burden legitimate agencies struggling to meet workforce and compliance demands.

The goal should be thoughtful, targeted enforcement that protects patients without reducing access to compassionate end-of-life care.

Oregon lawmakers advanced a bill to strengthen hospice oversight to prevent fraud before it takes hold in the state.

03/09/2026

This article is written in the context of India, but the underlying issues are highly relevant in the U.S.: end-of-life preferences are often discussed late, documentation is incomplete, and families are asked to make complex decisions during acute illness.

The central message is straightforward - earlier planning and clearer communication improve patient and family experience by supporting symptom control, reducing confusion, and ensuring care reflects the patient’s priorities.

A good death is about dignity, comfort and respecting patient wishes. Doctors explain why early planning, living wills and palliative care reduce suffering and family distress.

03/07/2026

CMS updated national hospice quality reporting data (HQRP). The state comparisons are quite interesting.

This article includes a table that pairs Hospice Care Index (quality) scores with Medicare per-beneficiary hospice spending for Jan 1, 2023–Dec 31, 2024. A key observation: higher spending doesn’t automatically mean higher quality; California and Nevada spent the most per beneficiary but had the lowest quality scores, while Rhode Island and West Virginia topped the quality rankings.

Hospice spending care quality data from CMS shows California and Nevada spend most with lowest scores; Rhode Island and West Virginia lead in quality.

03/06/2026

Hospice nurses don’t just witness how people die - they also notice patterns in how people live right up to the end. Many of the longest-lived weren’t “bedridden for years.” They were still doing life - walking, gardening, cooking, visiting - until close to hospice.

Longevity isn’t only about adding years. It’s about protecting the things that keep life livable: movement, purpose, relationships, and daily routines that keep you engaged with the world.

Worth the read.

Hospice nurses see something most of us never will.

03/05/2026

This newly published article highlights a meaningful national trend: hospice discharge after ICU admission is rising among U.S. Medicare beneficiaries.

Across 2011–2023, discharges to hospice after an ICU stay increased from 5.6% to 6.8% while in-hospital and 30-day mortality remained stable. The study also reports increases in DNR orders and in-hospital palliative care, pointing to a broader shift in how hospitals support end-of-life decision-making after critical illness.

For hospice teams and hospital partners, this raises practical questions: Are we ready for more ICU-to-hospice transitions? Do we have reliable referral workflows, family education, rapid admissions, and strong coordination with ICU case management and palliative care?

Anica C Law, MD, MS, Nicholas A Bosch, MD, MSc, Yang Song, MSc, Archana P Tale, MPH, Jason Nelson, MPH, Rishi K Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, Amber E Barnato, M

03/04/2026

Author James Sexton believes every 18- and 19-year-old should serve as a hospice volunteer for the following simple reason:

Working with people at the end of life changes your perspective. You quickly realize that what people value most in their final days isn’t what they owned or accumulated. It’s relationships. It’s love. It’s the impact they had on others.

He argues that developing an awareness of death in early adulthood helps prevent getting distracted by the “noise” of modern culture - the constant pressure to collect, achieve, and compete. When you understand that everything is finite - even something as simple as kissing your spouse - you begin to live more intentionally.

American culture often avoids conversations about death. We medicalize it, sanitize it, and treat it as failure. Yet hospice volunteering offers a different lens: death as a natural part of life - and a teacher about what truly matters.

This serves as a reminder that endings give life its meaning.

"It changed my entire way of viewing the world."

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