LeadingAge on June 10 submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index.
Calling the proposed 2.4% rate increase insufficient to cover the needs of current hospice providers, we urge the agency to take action by conducting an audit of cost reports to improve and optimize accuracy of the payment.
LeadingAge rejected CMS’ proposal to include a new requirement for a signature and date in a separate file on the face-to-face attestation citing the proposals conflict with CMS’ stated goal reducing regulatory burdens.
LeadingAge also called for a delay in the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation tool, pointing to the lack of readiness among technology vendors.
Finally, LeadingAge provided extensive comments on quality measures and interoperability.
Read the full comment letter here.
