FY 2027 Hospice Final Rule – Beyond The Rate Update
Join us September 23rd at 2:00 PM ET for our next Careficient Master Class, joined by Presented By Kristie Meers, RN, BSN, CHPN.
Agenda:
FY 2027 Final Rule Overview
- Regulatory landscape and CMS priorities
- Key changes at a glance
- Effective dates and implementation considerations
Hospice Payment Update & Financial Impact
- FY 2027 payment rate update
- Wage index considerations
- Hospice aggregate cap
- HQRP payment penalty implications
Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI)
- Understanding the nine claims-based measures
- Provider-level SSVI scores
- Non-hospice Medicare Parts A, B, and D spending
- What high variation may signal to CMS
- SSVI as a potential roadmap for education, oversight, and program integrity
Mandatory Hospice Election Statement Addendum
- What changed from the previous requirement
- Requirement to provide the addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries electing hospice
- Determining related versus unrelated conditions, services, and medications
- Documentation and operational implications
- Connection between the addendum and CMS scrutiny of non-hospice spending
Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP) & HOPE
- HQRP compliance expectations
- HOPE submission requirements
- 30-day submission expectations
- Public reporting and the new Care Compare noncompliance indicator
- Financial and reputational implications of failure to report
Face-to-Face & Telehealth Updates
- Telehealth face-to-face policy
- Conforming regulatory changes
- What hospices should incorporate into policies and workflows
Changes to Hospice Discharge Authority
- Expanded physician authority
- Medical director, physician designee, and physician IDG member roles
- Operational and policy implications
The Bigger Compliance Picture
- Connecting the Final Rule to increased hospice oversight
- SSVI, non-hospice spending, and program integrity
- Documentation and care-plan implications
- Preparing for data-driven scrutiny
Preparing for FY 2027: Hospice Action Plan
- Policies and procedures to update
- Education priorities
- Documentation and billing audits
- SSVI self-assessment
- HOPE compliance monitoring
- Leadership and QAPI oversight