08/06/2026

CMS Finalizes FY 2027 Hospice Payment Rule with SSVI, Addendum Changes Intact

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have finalized the FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index Final Rule, largely adopting the proposals released earlier this year. The final rule includes a 2.3% hospice payment update and makes no changes to the proposed Service and Spending Variation Index (SSVI) methodology, despite significant stakeholder feedback.

CMS also finalized a requirement that all hospice patients receive a Hospice Election Statement Addendum at the time of enrollment, rather than only upon request. In addition, hospices that fail to submit required quality data will now be identified with an icon on the Care Compare website, providing additional transparency for patients and families comparing hospice providers.

CMS's press statement is here and the link to the text of the rule is here. LeadingAge National’s press statement can be found here.