Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
medicare · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services · Rule · Published 2025-08-05 · Effective 2025-10-01 · 90 FR 37404
Document
Document number
2025-14782
Federal Register citation
90 FR 37404
CFR reference
42 CFR 418
Type
Rule
Action
Final rule.
Category
medicare
Sub-agency
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Publication date
2025-08-05
Effective date
2025-10-01
HHS docket
CMS-1835-F
Abstract
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.