NHPCO Urges Congressional Intervention as CMS Finalizes Rate Cuts

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule on the hospice wage index for fiscal year 2009. According to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), this regulation will cut hospice reimbursement rates by phasing out the budget neutrality adjustment. The new Medicare reimbursement cuts will be implemented on October 1. NHPCO is encouraging hospice advocates to learn more about what these rates cuts will mean, and to connect with their representatives over the August Congressional Recess to ask them to intervene before October 1.