On February 20, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) submitted the FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index, Payment Rate Update, and Quality Reporting Requirements (CMS-1835) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. This is the final step in the annual rulemaking process before a proposed rule is released.

The proposed rule will include updates to  the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year 2026. The rule also proposes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting program.