Hospice & Home Health News 2026Apr9

CMS Proposes New Transparency Measures to Strengthen Oversight of Hospice Providers & Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements Proposed Rule (CMS-1851-P)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed updates to hospice payment policies and quality reporting requirements for FY 2027 (CMS-1851-P), aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability, and the quality of end-of-life care. The rule proposes a 2.4% payment rate increase and updates to the aggregate cap, while introducing a new Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) to identify potential concerns in hospice billing, utilization, and non-hospice spending. CMS also proposes requiring hospices to provide all beneficiaries with a clear addendum at the time of election explaining which services are not covered, improving understanding and potentially reducing unexpected out-of-pocket costs. Additional proposals include a new Medicare.gov/Care Compare icon to flag hospices that fail to meet quality reporting requirements, increased flexibility for providers, and alignment of telehealth policies with current law. Overall, the rule aims to protect beneficiaries from fraud, waste, and poor-quality care, support informed decision-making for families, and ensure higher-quality end-of-life care.

Summary: FY27 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Proposed Rule

LeadingAge has prepared an article reviewing key details of the proposed FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements Proposed Rule. The rule was published on the Federal Register April 6, 2026. LeadingAge will convene members on the April 14, 2026 meeting of the Hospice Member Network to discuss the rule and begin to formulate comments.

Here is your weekly  Home Health Weekly Recap from National.

Here is your weekly  Hospice Weekly Recap from National.