LeadingAge, along with the National Alliance for Care at Home and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation, on May 19 urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation, or HOPE tool.

In the letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz the associations outline concerns with technology implementation in preparation for the HOPE tool. The letter specifically asks CMS to waive the HOPE timeliness submission requirement for two calendar quarters post implementation.

The letter further requests that CMS delay the HOPE implementation date until at least six months after CMS education, training, and final validation specifications are available and the application for iQIES access has been opened for hospices.