Health and Human Services Department, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
This final rule revises the existing conditions of participation that hospices must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The final conditions address the comments that we received on the proposed rule published on May 27, 2005. This final rule focuses on the care delivered to patients and their families by hospices and the outcome of that care. The final requirements continue to reflect the unique interdisciplinary view of patient care and allow hospices flexibility in meeting quality standards. These changes are an integral part of the Administration's efforts to achieve broad based improvements in the quality of health care and our efforts to improve the quality of care furnished through the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 418 [CMS-3844-F] RIN 0938-AH27 AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This final rule revises the existing conditions of participation that hospices must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The final conditions address the comments that we received on the proposed rule published on May 27, 2005. This final rule focuses on the care delivered to patients and their families by hospices and the outcome of that care. The final requirements continue to reflect the unique interdisciplinary view of patient care and allow hospices flexibility in meeting quality standards. These changes are an integral part of the Administration's efforts to achieve broad based improvements in the quality of health care and our efforts to improve the quality of care furnished through the Medicare and Medicaid programs. EFFECTIVE DATE: These regulations are effective on December 2, 2008. The incorporation by reference of certain publications listed in the regulations is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of December 2, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Miller, (410) 786-6656; Mary Rossi-Coajou, (410) 786-6051; Danielle Shearer, (410) 786-6617; or Jeannie Miller, (410) 786-3164. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background Hospice care is an approach to caring for the terminally ill individual that provides p…
Citation: 73 FR 32088
