CMS Extends Ban for New Medicare Hospice and Home Health Enrollments

CMS says less fraud, more bans. On Nov. 12, the agency said it is extending its nationwide moratoria on new Medicare enrollments for hospices and home health agencies (HHAs) for an additional six months “to protect beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars from fraud, waste, and abuse.”

“We’ve made real progress over the past six months, but fraud in hospice and home health persists and our work isn’t finished,” said CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz.

The initial moratoria, which began May 13, prevented potentially fraudulent operators from entering and exploiting Medicare, CMS said.

“Although the moratoria have paused the enrollment of new hospices and home health agencies, the circumstances warranting the imposition of the moratoria have not yet abated. CMS determined that extending the moratoria for an additional six months is necessary so the agency can continue to monitor providers for indicators of fraud, and, when appropriate, take administrative actions such as payment suspension and revocation to combat this conduct,” the agency said.

The moratoria extensions will continue to cover new applications for initial Medicare enrollment and certain changes in majority ownership. Unlike the May 2026 moratoria, the moratoria extensions will allow currently enrolled hospices and HHAs to add new practice locations within their existing enrollment. The extensions will not affect existing Medicare enrollments or prevent currently enrolled providers from continuing to deliver services.

CMS is also strengthening its enrollment safeguards. The Calendar Year 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule finalized changes to Medicare enrollment rules that would make all revocations retroactive to the date of noncompliance, enabling recovery of payments made to noncompliant providers and protecting taxpayer funds.

CMS also said it added or expanded grounds for enrollment denial or revocation, including requirements for hospices and home health agencies to reenroll after certain majority-ownership changes, as well as consequences for license, Medicaid, or federal healthcare program suspensions or revocations involving providers, owners, or managing employees and organizations.

The rule is also designed to address: (1) clusters of hospices, home health agencies, and other provider and supplier types operating within small geographic areas; and (2) medical directors and administrators who oversee multiple hospices and/or oversee a hospice from such a distance that the person cannot realistically perform their required functions.

Additional information on the hospice and HHA moratoria can be found via the Federal Register at: https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-23242.pdf (Hospice) and https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-23241.pdf (Home Health).

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.