WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a rule called: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements.
The rule was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 5 by Robert F. Kennedy, Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
Summary: This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. This rule also finalizes changes to the admission to hospice regulations and the hospice face-to-face attestation requirements under the certification of terminal illness regulations and includes technical changes to the hospice telehealth policy and wage index. This final rule also...