# Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements

**Action Urgency Score:** 30/100

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Agency | Health and Human Services Department; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
| Type | Final rule |
| Action | Final rule. |
| Published | 2026-08-03 |
| Effective | 2026-10-01 |
| Significant | No |
| CFR parts | 42 CFR 418 |
| Summary | This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027. This final rule also includes an analysis of Medicare non-hospice spending, including details regarding a hospice service and spending variation index, and finalizes the requirement that hospices provide the hospice election statement addendum to all Medicare beneficiaries at the time of hospice election. Additionally, this rule finalizes conforming changes to discharge from hospice care regulations and changes to the face-to-face encounter regulations. This final rule also includes a  |
| Document number | 2026-15686 |

## Why this score
- Final rule.

Source: Federal Register API (Office of the Federal Register) (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/03/2026-15686/medicare-program-fy-2027-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update-and-hospice-quality-reporting). Last refreshed: 2026-11-04T21:40:49.974Z.
Data from the Federal Register API; the published Federal Register document is authoritative. Informational only, not legal advice.