Proposed Rule for Medicare Hospice Providers

On May 2, 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update the Medicare hospice wage index and Medicare hospice payment rates for fiscal year (FY) 2015 (CMS-1609-P). According to the proposed rule, hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries would see an estimated 1.3 percent increase in their payments for FY 2015, or $230 million.

This rule also proposes changes related to hospice elections, self-reporting of payment caps and updates for the hospice quality reporting program. In addition, the rule solicits comments on, but does not propose, processes for coordination between hospices and other payers or providers, definitions of “terminal illness” and “related conditions” and Part D and hospice coordination and appeals processes. This rule also provides information on the delay in the implementation of ICD-10-CM.

Public comment will be accepted until July 1, 2014. We will continue to analyze the proposed rule and keep you posted. If you want to submit your comments to LeadingAge NY, we will include them with our submission.

Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871