CMS published their updated election and election addendum examples yesterday! We wanted to provide you these examples straight from CMS, and encourage you to please adopt both of these forms for all admissions on and after October 1st! 

October 1st is the date! Highlight it- and ensure your entire team is aware! All new patients, being admitted on or after 10/1/26 MUST have an election addendum. It is not a choice, but a mandate! This is a Condition of Payment- so any patients with a SOC date on or after 10/1/26 must have this document to ensure payment going forward!

PEPPER gives you a clear look at how CMS views your agency. Based on traditional Medicare billing data, it offers a great opportunity to review areas where your agency might be an outlier, ask "why" those differences exist, and ensure you're fully prepared to defend your care. It can also highlight new growth opportunities in areas where you might be lagging behind.

On August 27, 2026, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued All-Facilities Letter (AFL) 26-28 to all Home Health Agencies (HHAs). The purpose of this directive is to inform providers about the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 164, which institutes a strict moratorium on new home health agency licenses and dramatically expands compliance and oversight requirements.

The new CDPH Emergency Hospice regulations are very specific on what must be covered in the 12 hours of ongoing annual education for our "management team" (including Administrators, DPCS and Medical Directors and all their designees!)

CMS will release the 2025 HHVBP Annual Performance Report (APR) Preview reports for home health agencies TODAY, August 20, 2026. This report displays your agency's quality measure scores and the Annual Payment Percentage (APP) adjustments that will apply to your Medicare Fee-for-Service claims for the CY 2027 payment year.

CMS finalized last year that by 1/1/2027, hospices would have to indicate if a FTF visit was completed by use of audio and video telehealth communications. CMS has now issued a "Change request" to the MACs and published a MLN Matters article (MLN 14495) for hospice providers explaining the logistics of this requirement.

As every California hospice leader now knows, the June 22, 2026 CDPH Emergency Hospice Regulations represent the most significant overhaul of state hospice requirements in decades. We’ve developed a practical cue card guide that translates each regulatory section into clear operational expectations.

CMS has released the quarterly OASIS Q&As for July! We have compiled the notable updates into a downloadable tool below. These Q&As serve as a essential reference to help your team navigate tricky coding updates and ensure your clinical documentation stays fully compliant.

As CMS continues its aggressive efforts to combat fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare program, hospice providers are seeing a significant evolution in enforcement activity. Recent revocations suggest that CMS is no longer focusing solely on individual providers, but increasingly on the individuals who own, manage, or control those organizations.

This month we have two brand new tools to share with our Home Health and Hospice clinicians! We hope you find these assets helpful as you navigate your daily practices. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. See below to download.

The most meaningful leadership lessons are often learned at the bedside. These takeaways highlight the leadership decisions, clinical practices, and compassionate moments that transformed exceptional hospice care into an unforgettable experience for our entire family.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule today. There is a sense of relief regarding the 2.4% increase, after the recent yearly cuts.

As someone who has spent more than three decades consulting with hospices across the country, I have taught agencies about quality measures, compliance, interdisciplinary care, and best practices. Those things absolutely matter. But after walking this journey with my own father, I learned something much deeper. Families don't remember regulations. They remember how you made them feel.

Hospices never get a second chance at a first impression. As a consultant, I have often told hospice leaders that the admission process sets the tone for everything that follows. Families begin forming opinions before the first visit is over. Trust is either strengthened or weakened in those first few hours and days.

For more than two decades, I have worked alongside hospice organizations across the country. I have evaluated quality programs, reviewed compliance practices, educated clinicians, and helped agencies strengthen the care they provide. I thought I understood hospice.

Then I became a daughter with a father on hospice.

CMS announced that beginning today, May 13th, 2026, no new home health or hospice agencies will be enrolled in Medicare for at least the next six months. CMS may extend this. This does NOT directly impact currently enrolled agencies.

Effective May 12, 2026, home health agencies must begin using the updated Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131 with the new expiration date of 03/31/2029.

The government is introducing the Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) to increase oversight and transparency regarding hospice utilization and Medicare spending that occurs outside the hospice benefit. To Understand the differences between the new SSVI and the existing Hospice Care Index (HCI), we have created a handy comparison tool!

As we all know, Home Health and Hospice audits are undeniably stressful. However, you can set your agency up for success by preparing well!