Hospice Insights: The Law and Beyond
Tune in to Husch Blackwell’s hospice podcast with Meg Pekarske for conversations with industry innovators and fundamentals for navigating hospice law. In our commitment to monitoring updates and fostering learning, each episode delivers essential information clients need for best solutions in this changing healthcare sector.
- Update frequency
- every 15 days
- Average duration
- 30 minutes
- Episodes
- 135
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Where’s the Line: When Does Poor Quality Create False Claims Liability
Substandard quality care is the subject of survey citations and lawsuits, but it has also been used by the Justice Department to support false claim liability. While historically these cases were rar…
Hospice Audit Updates: Hospices Fare Well in Federal Court
Increasing audit activity combined with certain decreasingly favorable audit appeal outcomes has resulted in hospices appealing audit results beyond the administrative law judge phase and into federa…
AI in Action: Exploring How AI Is Helping Hospices Do Things in New Ways
Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by Dina Yankelewitz, CEO of Vitalis Care, a technology company that is harnessing AI technology to reduce staff burden and allow more time for patient care. D…
Election Inspection: Be Proactive to Avoid Costly Election Statement Denials
In an audit, election statement deficiencies can be costly. Auditors deny all claims covered by the problematic election statement, and those costs can multiply if more than one patient was affected.…
Still Number One: Healthcare Fraud Remains Central in DOJ’s White Collar Enforcement Plan
On May 12, 2025, the Head of the Criminal Division for the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memorandum outlining its enforcement priorities. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Jo…
Hospice Audit Updates: David Beats Goliath
Hospice audits can have profound financial implications, particularly when the auditors use statistical extrapolation to identify an overpayment amount. The use of extrapolation runs across auditor t…
But Wait: Things to Consider Before Adopting AI Tools In Your Hospice
Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by colleague Kathleen Snyder, who has extensive experience in digital health and has been busy advising health care providers on how to safely implement artif…
One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Figuring Out What is Your Hospice+
For hospices, unprecedented competition, enhanced oversight, and looming payment reform create business obstacles or growth opportunities, depending on your outlook. Your growth strategy shouldn’t be…
Psychedelics and End of Life Care: Understanding the Legal Landscape
There has been a lot of buzz around psychedelics and particularly their potential usefulness in treating existential suffering at the end of life. Husch Blackwell was the first law firm in the countr…
Controlling the Narrative: A New Tactic for Auditors and ALJs
Hospices that have gone through audits are familiar with certain recurring reasons why auditors deny claims. Two common reasons are the lack of support for a six-month prognosis and the insufficiency…
Upping the Ante: Will CMS’s Enhanced Oversight Efforts Cause Hospices to Fold?
CMS recently expanded its Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight, or PPEO, in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas, and its enforcement activities nationwide appear more aggressive. In this episo…
A Year in Review: Reflections and Hopes for the Future
It’s our first podcast of 2025 and we wanted to start the year out with some reflections. Join Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki as they each share their biggest surprises and victorie…
What a Difference No Deference Makes: Courts No Longer Bow to Administrative Agencies
The United States Supreme Court recently overruled decades-old precedent that favored an administrative agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutes. This seismic shift in the role of the judiciary …
Meet the New Laws, Same as the Old Laws: Overpayment Recoupment Update
Hospices that have been audited have to decide how to address any alleged overpayment identified by the auditor, whether through a voluntary repayment, recoupment, or applying for an extended repayme…
What’s Good and Bad in Hospice Right Now: A Conversation with Greg Grabowski, Partner at Hospice Advisors
In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske is joined by long-time hospice friend and industry guru Greg Grabowski. They turned the microphone on their usually private (but always lively) discuss…
What’s the Latest on UPICs? Highlights From Recent Audit Activity, Part II
UPIC activity is picking up, and the UPICs are reviving some old tactics. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki continue the discussion on these trends which include extra…
What’s the Latest on UPICs? Highlights From Recent Audit Activity, Part I
UPIC activity is picking up, and the UPICs are reviving some old tactics. In this episode, Husch Blackwell's Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki discuss these trends which include extrapolation, Medicaid …
Stories of Successful Hospice Leadership: The CEO and Chief Medical Officer Relationship
A strong and engaged Chief Medical Officer (CMO) may be a hospice CEO’s most important asset. But what does a successful CEO/CMO relationship look like and how must it evolve to meet today’s challeng…
A Rise in Medicare Deactivations: Tips for Avoiding This Financial Pain
Until recently, deactivation of a hospice’s Medicare provider number seemed like an action reserved for egregious conduct. But with law changes and an enhanced focus on enrollment, good hospices have…
Check the Mail: Are You Getting a 4% Rate Cut?
It’s that time of year again when HIS and CAHPS non-compliance letters are sent out. While it can be an uphill battle, all may not be lost if you receive a notice of non-compliance. Join Husch Blackw…