Federal Register Final Rule: Medicare Program; FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
Hospice · Effective 2024-10-01
Specialty intelligence
Hospice Reimbursement Alerts
15 active CMS and MAC reimbursement alerts affect Hospice billing teams (Critical-severity changes active) — most recent: Federal Register Final Rule: Medicare Program; FY 2025 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements, effective 2024-10-01. Monitored daily across CMS, all 16 MAC jurisdictions, and the Federal Register.
Daily CMS policy updates, MAC LCD revisions, and coding guidance for Hospicebilling teams. All alerts sourced directly from CMS — including the Medicare Coverage Database that carries every MAC’s LCDs — and the Federal Register.
Total alerts
15
Average signal
79/100
Sources monitored
9
Latest Hospice alerts
15Federal Register Proposed Rule: Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
Hospice
Federal Register Final Rule: Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
Hospice · Effective 2026-10-01
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MAC contractor coverage
Hospice billing is subject to both national CMS policy and regional MAC contractor Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs). Coverage from all seven A/B contractors — Noridian, CGS, First Coast, NGS, Novitas, Palmetto GBA, and WPS — reaches us through the CMS Medicare Coverage Database, where they publish their LCDs and Billing & Coding Articles; we track it there for updates affecting Hospice codes. Coverage criteria vary by contractor jurisdiction.
NoridianCGS AdministratorsFirst CoastNational Government ServicesNovitas SolutionsPalmetto GBAWPS
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Weekly digest of CMS and MAC policy changes for Hospice billing teams.
Frequently asked questions
What MAC contractors issue LCDs for Hospice billing?
Hospice billing is subject to regional Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) from the 7 A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors: Noridian, CGS Administrators, First Coast Service Options, National Government Services, Novitas Solutions, Palmetto GBA, and WPS Government Health Administrators. Between them they administer the 12 A/B MAC jurisdictions; a further 4 DME MAC jurisdictions are administered by Noridian and CGS. Coverage criteria and medical necessity requirements vary by jurisdiction. CLV Intelligence monitors all 16 MAC jurisdictions daily for LCD updates affecting Hospice codes.
How often does CMS update Hospice reimbursement policy?
CMS updates the Physician Fee Schedule annually, effective January 1, with proposed rules published in the summer and final rules in November. MAC contractors issue LCD updates on a rolling basis throughout the year with no fixed schedule. The Federal Register publishes proposed and final rules affecting Hospice reimbursement on a continuous basis. CLV Intelligence monitors all three sources daily and surfaces updates by signal strength.
What is a Local Coverage Determination (LCD) and how does it affect Hospice billing?
A Local Coverage Determination (LCD) is a decision by a Medicare Administrative Contractor specifying under what clinical circumstances a particular service is covered within its geographic jurisdiction. For Hospice billing teams, LCDs define medical necessity criteria, covered diagnoses, and documentation requirements for specific procedures. Failure to comply with LCD requirements is among the most common causes of Medicare claim denial in Hospice practices.
Codes we track for Hospice
The CPT/HCPCS and ICD-10 codes most often affected by Hospice policy changes we monitor. Each links to its reimbursement-alert history.
Reimbursement guides & resources
Plain-language guides to the policy cycles that drive Hospice reimbursement — the fee schedule, ICD-10, HCPCS, and Local Coverage Determinations.
2027 Fee Schedule Guide
How the CY2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule works and what to track.
ICD-10 Change Center
The FY2027 ICD-10-CM update cycle and the October 1 effective date.
HCPCS Quarterly Update
How HCPCS Level II changes every quarter — Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct.
Tracking LCD Changes
How LCDs change across every MAC jurisdiction and how to track them.
2027 Prep Checklist
A free, printable checklist for the CY2027 fee schedule cycle.
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