Stating that “public harm is reasonably likely to occur if normal, non-emergency clearance procedures are followed,” the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) via an October 30, 2026 filing to the Federal Register requested an emergency information collection request (ICR) revision for the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) for Home Health Services specifically to expand RCD to California.

The agency’s request, scheduled for a November 2 publication, follows years of LeadingAge advocacy for stronger oversight of home health services in California, many of which are linked to fraudulent hospice agencies.

For instance, on page 13 of our LeadingAge’s March 30, 2026 response to the comprehensive regulations to uncover suspicious healthcare (CRUSH) request for information, we note that “today, RCD operates in Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas for home health agencies,” and urge CMS to “evaluate whether RCD has been successful in reducing fraud, waste, and abuse through a formal evaluation that is made public. If RCD is
successful, CMS should consider whether it could be expanded geographically to other areas at high-risk of fraud, waste, and abuse, and potentially apply to other provider types in high-risk geographies.”

CMS’ proposal is also an example of more targeted program integrity oversight, for which LeadingAge has also been advocating.

Under the paperwork reduction act (PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed ICR to allow individuals to submit comment on the burden of the requested information collection estimates.

Comments on the PRA are due November 16, 2026.