Hospice Insights: The Law and Beyond

Hosted by Bryan Nowicki

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147

Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

Tune in to Husch Blackwell’s hospice podcast with Bryan Nowicki 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.

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60 recent

May 27, 202617 min

Bottom Line, Top of Mind: Compliance Checklists for Hospice and Home Health

In hospice and home health, certain compliance problems can have a big impact on the organization’s bottom line—and ability to keep operating. Even seemingly minor issues can affect whether the organization will be fully paid for services it provided, subject to financial penalties, or even barred from participating in a payment program. To help home health agencies and hospices spot and prevent these problems, Husch Blackwell has created checklists of top compliance issues for hospice and home health, plus template spreadsheets for prioritizing and addressing each. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Bryan Nowicki, Andrew Brenton, and Josi Wergin discuss these tools and how you can use them. Get the Hospice and Home Health Compliance Checklists Access Husch Blackwell’s hospice and home health compliance checklists by emailing alyssa.bukolt@huschblackwell.com.

May 6, 202614 min

Hospice Audit Updates: UPICs May Pick You for a Prepayment Review

Hospice providers remain under heavy scrutiny, with prepayment audit and other audit activity on the rise. Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs) historically conducted post-payment reviews. However, over the last six months, they have joined Medicare Administrative Contractors in reviewing claims on a prepayment basis. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Bryan Nowicki and Zaina Niles discuss this new type of UPIC audit and what your hospice can expect if a UPIC picks you.

April 15, 202623 min

High Risk Hospices Are in the Hot Seat Across Six States

Since September 2024, CMS’s Medicare Administrative Contractors have been conducting expanded prepayment reviews (also known as “EPRs” or targeted high-risk reviews) of existing hospice providers in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. As of December 2025, hospices in Georgia and Ohio are also under the microscope. In this episode, Husch Blackwell attorneys Bryan Nowicki and Zaina Niles discuss how hospices can differentiate between EPRs and other audit types. You’ll also learn what to expect throughout the EPR process and strategies to overcome claim denials and other possible EPR consequences.

March 25, 202623 min

What’s New? CMS Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight Application to “New” Hospices

Since July 13, 2023, CMS has applied a Provisional Period of Enhanced Oversight (PPEO) to “new” hospice providers in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. On December 30, 2025, CMS announced it was expanding PPEO to Georgia and Ohio. In this episode, Husch Blackwell attorneys Bryan Nowicki and Adam Royal discuss how these changes impact new (and not-so-new) hospice providers.

March 11, 202624 min

PPEO Playbook: The High-Stakes Game Hospices Can’t Afford to Lose

In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Claire Postman joins host Bryan Nowicki to discuss CMS’s provisional period of enhanced oversight (PPEO) program that has now expanded to six states. From the basics to the fallout, they unpack who is subject to PPEO, what it involves, and how to avoid and handle the worst-case consequences of a PPEO gone awry.

February 25, 202656 min

Endings and Beginnings: Reflections on Meg Pekarske’s 25+ Years as a Hospice Advocate

Meg Pekarske has dedicated her professional life to the hospice community. In this episode, Bryan Nowicki interviews her about her years as a hospice attorney. Meg reflects on the characteristics of successful hospices and hospice leaders, current challenges, and why hospices should have hope for the future.

February 4, 202658 min

Reimagining How We Navigate Change and Loss: A Conversation with Sonya Dolan and Bridget Sumser of Mettle Health

Welcome to a very special podcast! It’s special for many reasons. First, as a longtime admirer of Mettle Health’s visionary work supporting people through change and loss, Meg Pekarske was elated when co-founder Sonya Dolan and counselor Bridget Sumser said yes to being on the podcast. Second, a discussion of how we face endings seems fitting for Meg’s last episode as host of the Hospice Insights podcast. Endings, whether a result of a diagnosis, aging, or other life changes, raise big questions related to identity, purpose, and meaning. Mettle Health offers emotional accompaniment for patients and caregivers working through not only the existential but practical questions brought about by illness, disability, and aging. The organization fills an essential gap left in our fragmented healthcare system. In this passionate and compassionate conversation, we explore how Mettle Health’s unique model of care works, the advantages and challenges of running a largely “direct to consumer” healthcare business, how generational shifts may impact how we confront the challenges of serious illness in the future, the role and limits of technology in providing meaningful support and much more. We’re confident the Hospice Insights podcast will live on in the capable hands of longtime colleague and frequent guest Bryan Nowicki. He will do an outstanding job, and Meg will still be around and looks forward to being a guest a time or two. She started this podcast more than six years ago as a way to connect and provide support to our colleagues and partners. Thanks as always for your loyal support! For more information on the innovative work of Mettle Health, check out their website.

December 17, 202531 min

Hospital to Hospice: Managing Referrals and Relationships

A common referral scenario involves hospital clinicians referring a dying patient to hospice. This circumstance gives rise to questions relating to hospice eligibility, the appropriate level of hospice care, and the expectation of the patient and the hospital. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Bryan Nowicki address these questions and provide insights into effectively managing this situation.Additional resources:Medicare Benefit Policy Manual Chapter 9 Excerpt - General Inpatient Care

November 26, 202525 min

But Am I Set Up for Growth: Corporate and Governance Considerations for Growing Hospices

Many hospices established their single entity corporate structure 40+ years ago and have left it largely untouched. But this too is worth a dust off especially as hospices are expanding into new geographies, new service lines, and affiliating with additional organizations. When done thoughtfully, an expanded corporate organizational chart does not need to cause painful complexity and administrative burdens. In fact, it may allow you to streamline governance, better protect your assets, and create operational efficiencies. Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Adam Royal discuss what they are seeing across the country and key considerations when contemplating organizational changes.

November 5, 202525 min

If Only I Knew… Avoiding the Most Common Mistakes with the 855

The world of Medicare enrollment and the 855 may seem like a tangle of boring paperwork, but all that i-dotting and t-crossing is critical for avoiding Medicare deactivation and other unpleasant consequences. In this episode, Husch Blackwell attorneys Meg Pekarske and Andrew Brenton discuss the most common mistakes they see providers make related to the 855. You’ll learn which key individuals you should be sure to include on your 855 and why it is important not to wait for revalidation to make enrollment updates. Listen in for these and other practical tips on how to sidestep your next provider enrollment headache.Additional Resources:CMS, Form 855A (Medicare Enrollment Application)Five Common Medicare Provider Enrollment Mistakes