Rural Hospice and Palliative Care – News
News stories from the past 60 days.
Nov 5, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2027. This rule also finalizes changes to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP) and summarizes potential initiatives to improve alignment between the HH QRP and the expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model. Among other things, this rule finalizes permanent and temporary behavior adjustments and recalibrates the case-mix weights and updates the functional impairment levels; comorbidity subgroups; and low-utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) thresholds for CY 2027; and summarizes and responds to comments received on the July 6, 2026, proposed rule regarding the provision of home health palliative care services and a home health specific wage index. The home health prospective payment system and HH QRP provisions of this rule and the regulatory changes at 42 CFR 484.245 are effective January 1, 2027. The remaining regulations are effective 60 days after the date of filing for public inspection. Publication is scheduled for November 9, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements; Correction
Federal Register
Sep 30, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 3, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 16, 2026 - Summarizes new research finding that rural older adults are less likely to receive hospice care and intensive hospice services. Notes that future research should explore drivers of this disparity.
Source: Dartmouth Health News & Stories
CMS: Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
Federal Register
Sep 9, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modifying an existing system of records maintained by CMS titled "Hospice Item Set (HIS) System." The amended System of Records Notice (SORN) reflects changes to now include real time data collection at the time of patient assessments to improve the understanding of patient care needs and care coordination. CMS is also changing the name of the system of records to "Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE)." This modified system of records notice is effective on September 9, 2026, with the exception of the routine uses, which are effective October 9, 2026. Comments are due within 30 days of the publication of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 8, 2026 - Summarizes recent research finding that hospice use declines as communities become more rural. Offers recommendations to journalists reporting on rural and urban differences in hospice access including variation in access within rural areas.
Source: Association of Health Care Journalists