CMS Issues Propose Rule for Fiscal Year 2024 Hospice Payment Rate

CMS issued a proposed rule (CMS-1787-P) that would update Medicare hospice payments and the aggregate cap amount for FY 2024 in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule includes information on hospice utilization trends and solicits comments regarding information related to the provision of higher levels of hospice care, spending patterns for non-hospice services provided during the election of the hospice benefit, ownership transparency, equipping patients and caregivers with information to inform hospice election decision-making selection, and ways to examine health equity under the hospice benefit. This rule also proposes conforming regulations text changes related to the expiration of the COVID-19 PHE.