# Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
> **Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services** · Final rule. · Published 2025-08-05 · Effective 2025-10-01 · 90 FR 37404
## Document
- **Document number:** 2025-14782
- **Category:** medicare
- **Sub-agency:** Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- **Federal Register citation:** 90 FR 37404
- **CFR reference:** 42 CFR 418
- **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.

## Source
- [Federal Register document](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/05/2025-14782/medicare-program-fy-2026-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update-and-hospice-quality-reporting)
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