Medicare Proposes $695 Million Pay Hike for Hospices in 2026

Hospice providers would see a Medicare payment increase of 2.4% in 2026, or $695 million, under a proposed rule released Friday by the Trump administration.

The proposal from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (RIN: 0938-AV49) would also make changes to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program.

This rule proposes changes to the hospice face-to-face attestation requirements under the certification of terminal illness regulations.

In 2023, Medicare paid $25.7 billion to 6,500 hospice providers for care provided to more than 1.7 million beneficiaries, according to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

Medicare’s hospice benefit covers end-of-life care and services ...