Hospice and the Stimulus Package

We just got word from Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) office that a provision blocking the implementation of the CMS rule that cut hospice payments, promulgated October 1 of last year, has been included in the House Ways and Means Committee economic stimulus package.

This CMS hospice rule, which eliminated the budget neutrality adjustment factor to the hospice wage index, would be delayed until October 1, 2009, providing time for the new administration at CMS to reconsider the rule. The moratorium on the implementation of this rule would be retroactive to October 1, 2008.

You may click here to access the Ways and Means package: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/sbill.pdf. The hospice section is Subtitle E, Section 4501 (near the end).

Although Congress is just beginning the process that it hopes will result in the passage of an economic stimulus package by February 13, the inclusion of this hospice provision in the Ways and Means stimulus package is very encouraging. We’ll keep you posted in NAHC Report on further developments.

Thanks to all of you who have weighed in with your Members of Congress about this important hospice issue.


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