As every California hospice leader now knows, the June 22, 2026 CDPH Emergency Hospice Regulations represent the most significant overhaul of state hospice requirements in decades. We’ve developed a practical cue card guide that translates each regulatory section into clear operational expectations.

CMS has released the quarterly OASIS Q&As for July! We have compiled the notable updates into a downloadable tool below. These Q&As serve as a essential reference to help your team navigate tricky coding updates and ensure your clinical documentation stays fully compliant.

As CMS continues its aggressive efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare program, hospice providers are seeing a significant evolution in enforcement activity. Recent revocations suggest that CMS is no longer focusing solely on individual providers, but increasingly on the individuals who own, manage, or control those organizations.

This month we have two brand new tools to share with our Home Health and Hospice clinicians! We hope you find these assets helpful as you navigate your daily practices. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. See below to download.

The most meaningful leadership lessons are often learned at the bedside. These takeaways highlight the leadership decisions, clinical practices, and compassionate moments that transformed exceptional hospice care into an unforgettable experience for our entire family.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule today. There is a sense of relief regarding the 2.4% increase, after the recent yearly cuts.

As someone who has spent more than three decades consulting with hospices across the country, I have taught agencies about quality measures, compliance, interdisciplinary care, and best practices. Those things absolutely matter. But after walking this journey with my own father, I learned something much deeper. Families don't remember regulations. They remember how you made them feel.

Hospices never get a second chance at a first impression. As a consultant, I have often told hospice leaders that the admission process sets the tone for everything that follows. Families begin forming opinions before the first visit is over. Trust is either strengthened or weakened in those first few hours and days.

For more than two decades, I have worked alongside hospice organizations across the country. I have evaluated quality programs, reviewed compliance practices, educated clinicians, and helped agencies strengthen the care they provide. I thought I understood hospice.

Then I became a daughter with a father on hospice.

CMS announced that beginning today, May 13th, 2026, no new home health or hospice agencies will be enrolled in Medicare for at least the next six months. CMS may extend this. This does NOT directly impact currently enrolled agencies.

Effective May 12, 2026, home health agencies must begin using the updated Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131 with the new expiration date of 03/31/2029.

The government is introducing the Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) to increase oversight and transparency regarding hospice utilization and Medicare spending that occurs outside the hospice benefit. To Understand the differences between the new SSVI and the existing Hospice Care Index (HCI), we have created a handy comparison tool!

As we all know, Home Health and Hospice audits are undeniably stressful. However, you can set your agency up for success by preparing well!

Late last week, CMS released the proposed rule for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update. This rule, will shape how hospices are paid, how they are measured, and how they are held accountable. Here is a plain-language breakdown of every major proposal, what it means for your team, and what you should do now.

Do you ever wish you had the answers to a test before you had to take it?? Well, today is your day! CMS actually provides us with the questions that surveyors will ask patients and caregivers!

We're back with another new tool for our Home Health partners. This 2026 HHCAHPS Update Tool provides a side-by-side comparison of the mandatory changes coming to the patient experience survey, highlighting exactly which questions are being added, removed, or revised.

I am excited to share our new HHCAHPS Crosswalk Tool, designed to help your navigate the significant updates coming with the CY 2026 CMS Final Rule. Effective with the April 2026 sample month, CMS is implementing substantive changes to how patient experiences are measured, including the introduction of revised composite measures and new stand-alone items for home safety and medication reviews.

The HOPE Summer School is officially LIVE and ready for enrollment! This 8-session training course was specifically designed for busy hospice nurses and all hospice professionals – from those in the field to leadership and quality teams. Our "Trainings for Busy Hospice Nurses" approach means each module is concise and high-impact, perfectly fitting between patient visits.