Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Hospice CARE Act of 2026 is comprehensive legislation designed to strengthen oversight and accountability in Medicare's hospice program while restructuring payment and coverage rules. The bill imposes a five-year nationwide freeze on new hospice program enrollment (with limited exceptions for underserved areas), requires hospice providers to report quality data or face payment penalties beginning in 2028, and mandates enhanced oversight including more frequent inspections and prepayment medical reviews of high-risk programs. Key operational changes include requiring independent physicians to certify terminal illness, limiting medical directors to overseeing no more than two hospice programs, and establishing stricter notification requirements for changes in ownership or management. The legislation also restructures Medicare payments for hospice services beginning in fiscal year 2030, including separate payment formulas for routine home care and enhanced payments for specialized palliative services like chemotherapy and dialysis, while adding short-term home respite care as a new covered benefit. The bill provides $10 million to implement these changes and requires multiple reporting and accountability measures, with most provisions taking effect between 2027 and 2030.
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