Medicare Program; FY 2024 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements, and Hospice Certifying Physician Provider Enrollment Requirements
medicare · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services · Rule · Published 2023-08-02 · Effective 2023-10-01 · 88 FR 51164
Document
Document number
2023-16116
Federal Register citation
88 FR 51164
CFR reference
42 CFR 418
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
medicare
Sub-agency
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Publication date
2023-08-02
Effective date
2023-10-01
HHS docket
CMS-1787-F
Abstract
This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This rule discusses the comments received regarding information related to the provision of higher levels of hospice care; spending patterns for non-hospice services provided during the election of the hospice benefit; ownership transparency; equipping patients and caregivers with information to inform hospice selection; and ways to examine health equity under the hospice benefit. This rule also finalizes conforming regulations text changes related to the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition, this rule updates the Hospice Quality Reporting Program; discusses the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation tool; provides an update on Health Equity and future quality measures; and provides updates on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, Hospice Survey Mode Experiment. This rule also codifies hospice data submission thresholds and discusses updates to hospice survey and enforcement procedures. Additionally, the rule requires hospice certifying physicians to be Medicare-enrolled or to have validly opted-out.