CMS Publishes Proposed FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the FY2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate, Hospice Conditions of Participation, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements on March 28. CMS proposes to increase payment by 2.6%. The proposed rule also includes updates to "election statement" and "notice of election" and clarifies who can certify a terminal illness.

The rule includes a request for information on provision of high intensity palliative care treatments. Finally, CMS proposes HOPE-based process measures; the HOPE instrument; discuss updates to potential future quality measures; and propose changes to the CAHPS® Hospice Survey.

LeadingAge will be analyzing and commenting on the prosed rule.