This bill strengthens oversight and accountability for Medicare-funded hospice programs by implementing new enforcement measures and transparency requirements. Starting January 1, 2027, or when all existing hospice programs have been surveyed (whichever comes first), the government will launch a special focus program to intensively monitor hospice providers, and hospices selected for this scrutiny must be notified confidentially at least 60 days before any public announcement of their selection. The legislation significantly increases financial penalties for hospice programs that fail to submit required quality data reports, raising penalties from 4 percent to 10 percent starting in 2027, after a period of 4 percent penalties from 2024 through 2026. Additionally, the bill requires the government to publicly report when hospice programs fail to submit their quality data, improving transparency for patients and families choosing providers. These changes aim to improve the quality and reliability of hospice care under Medicare by creating stronger incentives for compliance and giving the public better information to evaluate hospice performance.
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