CMS Adopts Hospice Payment Rule

(Aug. 5, 2025) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Hospice Payment Rate Update Final Rule last week.

The update includes a 2.6% increase, which is an improvement in the rule. However, the rate in general does not take into account inflationary costs and the rising costs of delivering care, particularly by not-for-profit hospice providers. The rule does provide greater flexibility for face-to-face encounters. However, it does not include a delayed implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool, which has been a LeadingAge National advocacy item.

LeadingAge National's statement on the rule can be found here. Their full analysis of the rule is here.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871