FY 2024 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update Proposed Rule Summary

On April 4, 2023, CMS published in the Federal Register (88 FR 20022) a proposed rule updating the Medicare hospice payment rates, wage index, the cap amount and the quality reporting requirements for federal fiscal year (FY) 2024. It also includes information on hospice utilization trends and solicits comments on several issues, including the provision of higher levels of hospice care, spending patterns for non-hospice services provided during the election of the hospice benefit, and ways to examine health equity, among other topics. This rule also proposes to codify the Hospice Quality Reporting Program data submission threshold, discusses the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation tool, and provides an update on future quality measures development and health equity efforts. In addition, this rule proposes that physicians who order or certify hospice services for Medicare beneficiaries must be enrolled in Medicare or validly opted-out as a prerequisite for payment for the specific hospice period of care. Comments on the proposed rule are due by May 30, 2023.