{"abstract":"This final rule will update the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2016 (October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016), including implementing the last year of the phase-out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor (BNAF). Effective on January 1, 2016, this rule also finalizes our proposals to differentiate payments for routine home care (RHC) based on the beneficiary's length of stay and implement a service intensity add-on (SIA) payment for services provided in the last 7 days of a beneficiary's life, if certain criteria are met. In addition, this rule will implement changes to the aggregate cap calculation mandated by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 (IMPACT Act), align the cap accounting year for both the inpatient cap and the hospice aggregate cap with the federal fiscal year starting in FY 2017, make changes to the hospice quality reporting program, clarify a requirement for diagnosis reporting on the hospice claim, and discuss recent hospice payment reform research and analyses.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES","name":"Health and Human Services Department","id":221,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/health-and-human-services-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/221","parent_id":null,"slug":"health-and-human-services-department"},{"raw_name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","name":"Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services","id":45,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/45","parent_id":221,"slug":"centers-for-medicare-medicaid-services"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2015/08/06/2015-19033.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":418,"title":42}],"citation":"80 FR 47142","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Effective Date: These regulations are effective on October 1, 2015 and the implementation date for the RHC rates and the SIA payment rates will be January 1, 2016.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["CMS-1629-F"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2015-19033","effective_on":"2015-10-01","end_page":47207,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2015/08/06/2015-19033.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/08/06/2015-19033/medicare-program-fy-2016-hospice-wage-index-and-payment-rate-update-and-hospice-quality-reporting","images":{"ER06AU15.005":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.005/ER06AU15.005_original_size.png"},"ER06AU15.004":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.004/ER06AU15.004_original_size.png"},"ER06AU15.003":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.003/ER06AU15.003_original_size.png"},"ER06AU15.002":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.002/ER06AU15.002_original_size.png"},"ER06AU15.001":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.001/ER06AU15.001_original_size.png"},"ER06AU15.000":{"original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.000/ER06AU15.000_original_size.png"}},"images_metadata":{"ER06AU15.005":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.005","content_type":"image/png","size":122062,"width":3162,"sha":"dec23b515cd7ac74f18491c39d2b5532","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.005/ER06AU15.005_original_size.png","height":1794}},"ER06AU15.004":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.004","content_type":"image/png","size":139550,"width":3114,"sha":"ca55cbee16c519b3af8b39c688f1ffaf","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.004/ER06AU15.004_original_size.png","height":2104}},"ER06AU15.003":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.003","content_type":"image/png","size":119966,"width":3271,"sha":"f5662d422ef820cf9391b8af43bf817f","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.003/ER06AU15.003_original_size.png","height":2063}},"ER06AU15.002":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.002","content_type":"image/png","size":193804,"width":3901,"sha":"ff89300479aae091956bd17ca9b5c4d8","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.002/ER06AU15.002_original_size.png","height":3066}},"ER06AU15.001":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.001","content_type":"image/png","size":291558,"width":3609,"sha":"2adccce8e76d7b00a0fd4a274b80deeb","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.001/ER06AU15.001_original_size.png","height":2827}},"ER06AU15.000":{"original_size":{"identifier":"ER06AU15.000","content_type":"image/png","size":144354,"width":3561,"sha":"f5ce20603e5313ae135c1718a65c3e23","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER06AU15.000/ER06AU15.000_original_size.png","height":3382}}},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2015-19033?publication_date=2015-08-06","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2015-08-06/2015-19033/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":66,"page_views":{"count":33310,"last_updated":"2026-10-22 20:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-08-06/pdf/2015-19033.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2015-19033.pdf?1438373725","publication_date":"2015-08-06","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2015/08/06/2015-19033.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0938-AS39":{"issue":"201504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0938-AS39/fy-2016-hospice-rate-update-cms-1629-f-","title":"FY 2016 Hospice Rate Update (CMS-1629-F)","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201504&RIN=0938-AS39&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Economically 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Requirements","toc_subject":"Medicare Program:","topics":["Health facilities","Hospice care","Medicare","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements"],"type":"Rule","volume":80}