Hospice Keys

Call Directions Website Contact the business

Empowering hospice workers. Strengthening hospice agencies. We are the keys to your success!

10/17/2026

Important notification for hospice medical directors!

CMS’s affiliation rule imposes a serious threat to hospice physicians.

Under this rule, Medicare can revoke a physician’s enrollment and impose a 10‑year bar, even if the physician personally did nothing wrong.

If the hospice agency had billing issues, enrollment problems, or a revocation, the medical director may be penalized simply for his position at the agency even if the medical director was unaware of the issues and played no role.

Physicians must be aware of this risk and take proactive steps to protect themselves, their careers, and their ongoing ability to practice within Medicare.

A physician with a clean disciplinary record, no history of fraud, and no involvement in false billing can lose the ability to treat Medicare patients...

10/16/2026

Hospice providers receive requests for medical records for many reasons.

What's important to understand is that a request from a third party cannot be treated as simple as sending the records. HIPAA, legal authority, state privacy laws, and the scope of the request are all important considerations when responding. There may also be competing claims about who has the right to access information.

This Husch Blackwell podcast offers a practical discussion of what hospice providers should consider when responding to subpoenas and other third-party requests for patient records.

The podcast reminds providers to pause, understand the request, and make sure the disclosure is legally appropriate before releasing information.

Hospice providers are no strangers to sensitive patient situations,...

10/14/2026

This fascinating article looks at a number of pieces in the caregiving and aging-in-place conversation.

Keeping people at home can benefit the healthcare system, but it can also place a tremendous burden on unpaid family and friend caregivers, many of whom may not have the training, resources, or support needed for the role.

The article explores varied approaches including AI, virtual support, music, social connection, and virtual reality. The VR work is particularly interesting. It gives caregivers an experience of the confusion and disorientation that can accompany dementia, which may help build empathy and understanding.

Another important takeaway from the article is the multiple pathways for supporting caregivers - training, respite, community, technology, and human connection.

Nearly 12 million Americans provide unpaid dementia care for loved ones. Researchers at George Mason are building new models of support to help them cope, connect, and carry on.

10/12/2026

CMS and other federal agencies are increasingly using AI and advanced analytics to identify unusual patterns and potential fraud, waste, and abuse.

This makes a strong case for hospice agencies to consider using that same technology to analyze their data and identify potential compliance issues before they are found by regulators.

However, at the same time, AI regulations are rapidly evolving and vary from state to state, making it difficult for agencies to determine how quickly they should move.

Hospices lack clarity around how regulators are using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve program integrity. Hospices need

10/10/2026

The IRS increased the standard business mileage rate to 76 cents per mile effective July 1, 2026. California agencies that reimburse employees for business mileage should review their policies and payroll processes to make sure the appropriate rate is being applied to eligible mileage.

And for hospice agencies everywhere, this is a good reminder to periodically review your mileage reimbursement policy and make sure employees and supervisors understand what travel is reimbursable and how it should be documented.

Effective July 1, 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) increased its standard mileage rate for business use of a personal vehicle to 76 cents per mile

10/08/2026

Caregivers may be included in a hospital discharge plan but they still may not feel prepared or able to manage what happens once the patient gets home.

This is an important consideration as more of the responsibility for patient care shifts to the caregiver. This article raises important and thoughtful questions about safe transitions from hospital to home and more general caregiver support - including in palliative and hospice settings.

We should ask whether a patient’s discharge plan remains safe once it depends on an unpaid caregiver.

10/06/2026

Looking for something meaningful to watch?

This list of 12 healthcare documentaries explores everything from end-of-life care and patient advocacy to healthcare ethics, AI, rural medicine and the patient experience.

A few are especially relevant for those working in hospice and palliative care.

By Zelda Meeker - Tired of scrolling to find something to watch? We’ve got a list of excellent healthcare-related documentaries that will grab and keep your attention. Healthcare documentaries offer a window into the complexities of this world and show the daily struggles and triumphs of nurses, p...

10/04/2026

The hospice moratorium may signal a broader shift in how CMS approaches fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare, with greater use of data, risk identification, enhanced screening, and increasingly sophisticated oversight.

The question is how do you target bad actors without creating unnecessary barriers for legitimate providers?

This podcast is a fascinating discussion of where hospice oversight may be headed.

The hospice moratorium may be temporary—but the changes it signals ...

10/02/2026

For the first time in nearly 20 years, CMS is beginning the process of updating the hospice Conditions of Participation. This could have a significant impact on how hospice organizations operate.

CMS will be holding listening sessions with hospice administrators and management, direct-care workers, and patients, caregivers and families. The agency is asking about everything from workforce challenges and contracts to hospice eligibility, access to covered services, medical director involvement, quality, patient safety and program integrity.

Hospice organizations should monitor closely how these discussions progress and may also want to participate in the conversation to ensure their voices are heard.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has begun the process of revising the hospice Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for the first

09/30/2026

Caregivers can spend so much time focused on the person they are caring for that their own needs get pushed aside.

This podcast discusses resources to help caregivers reduce stress and lower the risk of burnout.

Sometimes, knowing where to turn for help is an important first step.

If you are a caregiver, whether you’re helping a spouse, parent, another adult relative or a friend with a disability, health need or medical crisis, you don’t have to go it alone.

Address

2 University Plaza Suite 100
Hackensack, NJ
07601

Telephone

+15403002002

Website

http://Hospicekeys.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hospice Keys posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Hospice Keys:

Want your business to be the top-listed health & beauty business in Hackensack?