2021-07344: Medicare Program; FY 2022 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update, Hospice Conditions of Participation Updates, Hospice and Home Health Quality Reporting Program Requirements

Summary

This rule proposes updates to the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for Fiscal Year 2022. This rule proposes changes to the labor shares of the hospice payment rates, proposes clarifying regulations text changes to the election statement addendum that was implemented on October 1, 2020, includes information on hospice utilization trends and solicits comments regarding hospice utilization and spending patterns. In addition, this rule proposes to make permanent selected regulatory blanket waivers that were issued to Medicare-participating hospice agencies during the COVID-19 public health emergency and updates the hospice conditions of participation. The proposed rule would update the Hospice Quality Reporting Program. The proposed rule requests information on advancing to digital quality measurement, the use of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, addresses the White House Executive Order related to health equity in the Hospice Quality Reporting Program and provides updates to advancing Health Information Exchange. Finally, this rule proposes changes beginning with the January 2022 public reporting for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program to address exceptions related to the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 2 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 42 CFR 418 Hospice Care
• 42 CFR 484 Home Health Services