Health and Human Services Department, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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 includes a technical correction to the regulatory text and provides updates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements.
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-1835-F] RIN 0938-AV49 AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Final rule. 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 includes a technical correction to the regulatory text and provides updates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements. DATES: These regulations are effective on October 1, 2025. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions about hospice payment policy, send your inquiry via email to: hospicepolicy@cms.hhs.gov . For questions regarding the CAHPS® Hospice Survey, contact Lauren Fuentes at (410) 786-2290. For questions regarding the hospice quality reporting program, contact Jermama Keys at (410) 786-7778. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Executive Summary A. Purpose This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and cap amount for FY 2026 as required under section 1814(i) of the Social Security Act (the Act). In addition, this final rule amends the payment regulations to specify that the p…
Citation: 90 FR 37404
