Hospice Final Rule

The hospice final rule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 was issued on July 29th.  This 226 page document–CMS-1745-F–addresses a number of changes including the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for FY 2022.  Specifically, hospices who submit quality data will receive a 2% raise in payment rates.  Hospices who do not submit quality data will receive 0% change in payment rates. The failure to meet quality reporting requirements will increase from its current penalty of 2% to 4% in FY 2024. The hospice cap also received an increase of 2%.

Clarifications to the election statement addendum implemented on October 1, 2020 were also finalized.  This includes verbiage on the addendum for the date the document was furnished to the patient as well as clarification of the number of days to issue the addendum when requested by the patient or representative.

Selected Public Health Emergency waivers were made permanent which will update the hospice conditions of participation. Specifically, the use of pseudo patients and simulation for hospice aide training and evaluation was permanently adopted.  Aide supervisory visits in which an area of concern is verified by the hospice during an on-site visit require the hospice to conduct, and the aide must complete, a competency evaluation of the deficient skill and all related skill(s) in accordance with § 418.76(c).

Finally, the Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) was updated and changes to public reporting were finalized.  Among the various adjustments made to quality reporting data, CMS reports that public reporting will resume in 2022.