Hospice, Home Health Providers Await Word on Moratoria Expiration
CMS's six-month moratoria on new Medicare enrollment for hospice and home health agencies, along with certain changes in majority ownership, are set to expire November 13, but the agency has not yet announced whether it will extend them despite committing to give 60 days' notice. Providers say the moratoria have stalled de novo expansion, acquisitions, affiliations, and sales, with Medicare Administrative Contractors reportedly denying enrollment applications even when filed before the moratoria took effect. Attorneys interviewed note the uncertainty has chilled transactions industrywide, and warn that an extension would further slow growth while a lapse could trigger a bottleneck of delayed deals. Some stakeholders are urging CMS to adopt more targeted, fraud-focused moratoria instead of a blanket national freeze, and states may impose their own additional restrictions.