CMS 2025 Hospice Final Rule: Content and Initial Responses
CMS 2025 Hospice Final Rule: Content and Initial Responses
1. [CMS Fact Sheet] Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Hospice Payment Rate Update Final Rule (CMS-1810-F)
CMS Fact Sheet - Final Rule (CMS-1810-F); 7/30/24
On July 30, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (CMS-1810-F) updating Medicare hospice payment rates and the aggregate cap amount, for fiscal year (FY) 2025, in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements.
Editor's Note: This "Fact Sheet" provides the straightforward facts, in CMS's official language (6 pages, PDF). Click here for the full CMS Federal Register Final Rule, 167 pages, PDF.
2. CMS rolls out 2025 Hospice Final Rule with 2.9% pay increase
Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 7/30/24
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has unveiled its final 2025 hospice rule, which includes a 2.9% increase in per diem payments alongside new quality reporting measures. The increase represents an estimated $790 million rise in total hospice payments compared to Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. It is also higher than the 2.6% hike that CMS initially proposed.
Editor's Note: See above, #1 for the 6 page PDF "Fact Sheet." Click here for the full CMS Federal Register Final Rule, 167 pages PDF.
3. Hospice providers net $790 million Medicare pay hike in FY 2025
Bloomberg Law; by Tony Pugh; 7/30/24
- Nearly 6,000 hospice providers treat Medicare patients
- Medicare paid nearly $24 billion for hospice care in 2022
Medicare payments to hospice providers would increase by $790 million in fiscal year 2025 under a Biden administration final rule released Tuesday. The rule confirms a 2.9% rate increase from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (RIN 0938-AV29) and also finalizes changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. Hospice providers that don’t submit the required quality data would see a payment update of 2.9%, “minus four percentage points, which results in a -1.1% update,” the CMS said in a fact sheet.
Editor's Note: This article's tone sounds like hospice providers will make huge amounts of money with this 2.9% pay increase. Keep reading, below.
4. Hospice community responds to CMS 2025 Hospice Rule
Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 7/31/24
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday finalized its 2025 hospice payment rule, but some say that the base rate increase is insufficient in today’s environment. ... Stakeholders in the space contend that rate hikes have not kept pace with inflation, rising labor costs and other headwinds in the hospice space, as well as lingering effects of COVID. Some have also indicated that the “insufficient” payment rates are making it more difficult for hospices to compete with other providers when it comes to hiring staff.
Editor's Note: This article voices concerns that are consistent with hospice leaders' ongoing concerns, data, and national trends. How does this 2025 Final Rule impact the services you provide?
5. Stay tuned. We will continue to include related articles as this unfolds, further.