Federal Register #CMS1851F

CMS Final Rule: FY 2027 Hospice Payment Rate and Reporting Updates

This final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updates hospice payment rates, reporting requirements, and operational procedures for FY 2027: - Government Buyer: - Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or commercial vendors are referenced, as this is a regulatory update affecting hospice providers nationwide - Products/Services Requested: - Hospice care services (routine home care, continuous home care, inpatient respite care, general inpatient care) with updated payment rates - Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) compliance, including HOPE and CAHPS Hospice Survey data submission - Mandatory provision of a hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries at the time of hospice election, detailing non-covered items, services, and drugs - Allowance for face-to-face hospice recertification encounters via telehealth through the end of the period - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Introduction of a Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) to monitor hospice utilization and non-hospice spending - Addition of a public icon on Medicare.gov to identify hospices failing quality data submission - Regulatory changes to discharge and recertification procedures - Payment update of 2.3%, resulting in an estimated $755 million increase in hospice payments - Telehealth for face-to-face recertification encounters extended through the end of the period - Public reporting of new HOPE quality measures to begin no earlier than the following fiscal year

Description

This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027. It includes an analysis of Medicare non-hospice spending and details regarding a hospice service and spending variation index. The rule finalizes the requirement for hospices to provide the hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries at the time of hospice election. It also finalizes conforming changes to discharge from hospice care regulations, face-to-face encounter regulations, and changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program.

View original listing