Hospice Agency New Requirement

Effective June 3, 2024, a critical update will be implemented for hospice agencies regarding the enrollment status of certifying physicians. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), physicians must be enrolled in or opted-out of Medicare through the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS).

Implementation Stages:

• Stage 1 (June 3, 2024 – October 6, 2024): During this period, CMS will validate the enrollment status of the physician listed in the ‘attending physician’ claim field. It is crucial for hospice agencies to ensure the certifying physician is accurately listed in this field.

• Stage 2 (October 7, 2024, and beyond): CMS will expand its validation to include physicians listed in both the ‘attending physician’ and ‘Other Physician’ claim fields. Agencies must be diligent in updating their records to reflect these requirements.

For detailed information and FAQs, please refer to the official CMS document here.