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In this compelling first installment, CMS Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt joins Chris Comeaux for a candid conversation about the growing hospice fraud crisis, the financial future of Medicare, and the urgent transformation happening across American healthcare.
Drawing from her leadership role at CMS and firsthand experiences with hospice care in her own Family, Brandt shares why hospice remains a critical pillar of compassionate care — while also exposing the alarming abuse threatening the integrity of the system.
The discussion dives deep into the pressures facing Medicare as the nation approaches the “silver tsunami,” with 10,000 new beneficiaries entering Medicare every day through 2030. Brandt explains how CMS is thinking about value-based care, the role of Technology and AI in improving patient outcomes, and why hospice and palliative care may increasingly blend together in the future.
From home-based care expansion to quality-driven reimbursement models, this episode offers healthcare leaders a rare inside look at the policy conversations shaping the next decade of healthcare delivery.
Key Takeaways
- CMS views hospice as an essential part of the Medicare ecosystem and is committed to protecting legitimate providers while aggressively combating fraud.
- Medicare faces mounting financial pressure as 10,000 Baby Boomers enroll daily, accelerating the need for healthcare reform and value-based care models.
- Kim Brandt predicts hospice and palliative care will increasingly integrate, allowing patients to receive supportive care earlier in their illness journey.
- Home-based healthcare, telehealth, AI, and remote monitoring are expected to play a major role in the future of hospice care delivery.
- CMS is shifting its focus from enrollment volume toward aligning incentives with quality outcomes and patient-centered care.
If you’re passionate about the future of healthcare, hospice Innovation, and leadership that drives meaningful change, this is an episode you cannot miss. Subscribe to our podcast and share this conversation with your team, and stay tuned for Part Two as we continue exploring the future of Medicare, hospice reform, and value-based care.
Guest:
Kim Brandt: Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator at CMS
Host:
Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of Teleios, author of The Anatomy of Leadership
The Anatomy of Leadership podcast explores the art and science of leadership through candid, insightful conversations with thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers from a variety of industries. Hosted by Chris Comeaux, each episode dives into the mindsets, habits, and strategies that empower leaders to thrive in complex, fast-changing environments. With topics ranging from organizational culture and emotional intelligence to navigating disruption and inspiring teams, the show blends real-world stories with practical takeaways. The goal is simple yet ambitious: to equip leaders at every level with the tools, perspectives, and inspiration they need to lead with vision, empathy, and impact.
https://www.teleioscn.org/anatomy-of-leadership
I am currently the President/CEO of Teleios Collaborative Network which is like a co-op of nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations. I am also CEO of Teleios Consulting Group. The goal of the collaboration is to harness the best of each hospice and enable the network to better care in each community for the patients and families being served as well as introduce innovations across the membership network and work with payers for new innovative solutions for those dealing with serious or advanced illness.
I am also host two podcasts, Anatomy Of Leadership and TCNtalks. Anatomy of Leadership was inspired by my book "The Anatomy of Leadership" which I wrote for Leaders, visionaries, and change-makers. The podcast delves deep into the essence of purpose-driven and high-performance leadership.
The show guides you through a journey of discovery—revealing how effective leadership can significantly alter the trajectory of our teams, organizations, our lives, and the world at large.
We examine topics like:
- Self-Mastery
- Caring for Others
- Influence
- Intention
- Cause and Purpose
Bio
Over the years, I have become nationally known as a leader in our country’s hospice and palliative care industry, where I spent a large portion of my career as President/CEO of Four Seasons in western North Carolina, a 2009 American Hospital Association Circle of Life Award Winner. In 2005, the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care honored me with the Peter Keese Leadership Award.
In 2006, I left Four Seasons for two years to build an alliance between the prestigious national healthcare consulting firm, the Studer Group, and Covenant Hospice in Pensacola. The vision was to transform, develop, and grow leaders throughout the hospice and palliative care world. With this venture from its infancy to an established coaching firm partnering with post-acute healthcare organizations from New York to California. I returned to Four Seasons in 2008 to apply everything learned in the trenches on leadership to an organization I knew and loved.
My hospice career began in 1997 at Covenant Hospice in Pensacola, Florida. Earlier in my career, where I worked with KPMG Peat Marwick, a “Big Four” CPA consulting firm, and with Cooper Industries, a Fortune 100 Company, in its Executive Development Program.
I have a Masters in Leadership from the Thayer Institute for Performance Virtuosity.
I am blessed to have a wonderful wife, Deshia and a proud parent of 5 children (3 boys and 2 girls). Love spending time outdoors with my family, reading, and learning in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
