Government Halts New Hospices Nationwide: Fraud Fight or Care Crunch?
Published Date: 5/15/2026
Notice
Summary
Starting May 13, 2026, there’s a 6-month nationwide pause on new hospice enrollments in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. This means new hospices can’t join these programs for half a year to help stop fraud and protect patients. If you’re a hospice provider or someone who relies on these services, this temporary hold could affect access and payments during this time.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Nationwide 6‑Month Hospice Enrollment Pause
Beginning May 13, 2026, CMS imposed a nationwide 6‑month moratorium on new Medicare hospice enrollments across the United States, including all States, territories, and the District of Columbia. The pause can be extended in 6‑month increments and may be lifted earlier under certain conditions such as a Presidential disaster declaration or the Secretary's judgment.
Medicare Beneficiaries May Face Access Effects
If you are a Medicare beneficiary, the moratorium effective May 13, 2026 for 6 months may limit the entry of new hospices into Medicare and could affect access to hospice services or the availability of new hospice providers in your area. The moratorium applies nationwide, including all States, territories, and the District of Columbia.
Pending Applications Received Are Grandfathered
Hospices whose Medicare enrollment applications were received by the applicable Medicare contractor prior to May 13, 2026 are not blocked by this moratorium and may continue through enrollment processing. New hospice enrollment applications submitted on or after May 13, 2026 are subject to the 6‑month pause.
Medicaid/CHIP State Compliance Rule
Under the statutory provisions cited in this notice, States must comply with any moratorium imposed by the Secretary for Medicaid unless a State determines that the moratorium would adversely impact Medicaid beneficiaries' access to care. Similar provisions for CHIP also apply under the cited authorities.
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Department and Agencies
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-20281, Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) Model
Starting November 30, 2026, Medicare will use the new GLOBE Model to help lower the cost of certain drugs for people on Original Medicare. This model changes how drug price increases are calculated, aiming to save money for both patients and the Medicare program without cutting care quality. If you’re on Medicare Part B, expect smarter drug pricing that helps keep your healthcare affordable.
2026-20131, Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program; Correction
This correction fixes some technical mistakes in the Medicare payment rules for inpatient rehab facilities starting October 1, 2026. It mainly affects hospitals and rehab centers by clarifying how wage data and payments are calculated, ensuring fairer payment rates for fiscal year 2027. No big changes in money, but it keeps everything accurate and on track.
2026-19959, Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2027; Correction
This correction fixes some technical mistakes in Medicare payment rules for skilled nursing facilities starting October 1, 2026. It mainly affects how hospital data is used to calculate payments, making sure no current hospitals are wrongly excluded. These tweaks help keep Medicare payments fair and accurate for providers and patients.
2026-20067, Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements; Correction
This correction fixes some technical mistakes in the FY 2027 hospice payment and wage index rules that were first published in August 2026. It mainly affects hospice providers by updating how their payments are calculated, making sure the numbers are accurate starting October 1, 2026. These changes help ensure hospices get the right payment amounts based on the latest hospital wage data.
2026-19946, Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; Other Policy Changes; and Adoption of Updated Versions of Certain Health Information Technology Standards; Correction
This update fixes some typos and technical mistakes in the Medicare payment rules for hospitals starting October 1, 2026. It affects hospitals getting paid for patient care, making sure the payment system and quality programs run smoothly. These corrections help hospitals get the right payments and follow updated health tech standards without delays or confusion.
2026-15686, Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027. This final rule also includes an analysis of Medicare non-hospice spending, including details regarding a hospice service and spending variation index, and finalizes the requirement that hospices provide the hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries at the time of hospice election. Additionally, this rule finalizes conforming changes to discharge from hospice care regulations and changes to the face-to-face encounter regulations. This final rule also includes a summary of comments received on our requests for information regarding community- based palliative care; the construction of a hospice specific wage index; and the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying laws. Finally, this rule finalizes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2026-09717, Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs: Announcement of Nationwide Temporary Moratoria on Enrollment of Home Health Agencies (HHAs)
Starting May 13, 2026, the government is hitting pause for six months on new home health agencies joining Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. This temporary freeze helps stop fraud and protect your healthcare dollars. If you’re a new home health agency, you’ll need to wait before enrolling, but current services keep running smoothly.
Next: 2026-09719, HEARTH Act Approval of Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California, Leasing Ordinance
The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California just got the green light to handle their own land leases without needing extra approval from the government. This means they can lease their tribal lands faster and more easily starting May 11, 2026, helping boost local projects and homeownership. It’s a big win for the Tribe’s control over their land and future growth!