Home Health and Hospice Enrollment Moratoria Extended Through May 12, 2027
CMS has extended the nationwide temporary moratoria on new Medicare home health and hospice enrollments for an additional six months, through May 12, 2027, citing continued concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse.
Effective November 12, 2026, the modifications allow existing Medicare-enrolled home health agencies to add branches and hospices to add practice locations, while restrictions on new provider enrollments remain in place.
CMS posted a notice on the Federal Register Public Inspection Desk on November 12, 2026, announcing the extension and modification of the nationwide temporary moratorium on the enrollment of new Medicare hospices for another six months due to continuing fraud, waste, and abuse risks.
The extension and modification of the moratorium is effective November 12, 2026.
The six-month extension period expires Wednesday, May 12, 2027.
What changes
- New hospice enrollments remain paused nationwide, including initial enrollments resulting from non-exempt changes in majority ownership.
- The restriction on new practice locations ends. Existing Medicare-enrolled hospices may again add practice locations as of the effective date.
- The moratorium does not generally affect changes to provider information, most ownership changes, or applications received before a moratorium takes effect.
Why CMS extended it
CMS reports that the underlying risks have not subsided, including:
- Enrollment and billing for people who are not terminally ill or did not receive hospice services.
- Enrollment without beneficiaries’ knowledge, inappropriate recruiter payments, and false certification of terminal illness.
- “Churn and burn” operations that close after scrutiny or reaching payment limits, then reopen under a new Medicare billing number.
- Continued criminal enforcement activity, including 2026 cases involving millions of dollars in alleged fraudulent hospice claims.
CMS also cites an FBI public alert on emerging hospice fraud schemes targeting Medicare recipients. Its prior enhanced oversight program in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas had revoked 122 of roughly 670 reviewed hospices as of June 2025, an approximately 18% revocation rate versus a general provider/supplier range of about 1–3%.
Beneficiary access and state programs
- CMS says it has found no material nationwide or state-level reduction in Medicare hospice access from the original May 2026 moratorium, while continuing to monitor access, particularly in rural areas.
- States and territories retain discretion over Medicaid and CHIP hospice moratoria. Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island have adopted hospice moratoria; this notice does not change them.
CMS posted a notice on the Federal Register Public Inspection Desk on November 12, 2026, announcing the extension and modification of the nationwide temporary moratorium on the enrollment of new Medicare home health agencies for another six months because it finds that fraud, waste, and abuse risks remain substantial.
The extension and modification of the moratorium is effective November 12, 2026.
The six-month extension period expires Wednesday, May 12, 2027.
What changes for HHAs
- New HHAs remain barred from enrolling in Medicare nationwide, including HHAs required to re-enroll after a non-exempt change in majority ownership.
- HHA branch additions are no longer covered. Currently enrolled HHAs may add branches as of the notice’s effective date.
- The moratorium is a temporary measure that CMS may extend in 6-month increments or lift earlier if conditions change.
Why CMS extended it
- CMS cites continuing nationwide indicators of HHA fraud, including rapid provider growth and clusters of agencies sharing addresses.
- Recent enforcement cases involved alleged kickbacks, stolen patient information, false physician certifications, billing for services not provided, and fraudulent Medicaid and Medicare claims.
- CMS and HHS-OIG concluded that the risk remains significant despite existing safeguards such as enhanced screening, capitalization requirements, ownership-change enrollment rules, and enhanced oversight of new HHAs.
Scope and exceptions
In accordance with current § 424.570(a)(1)(iii), a temporary moratorium does not apply to any of the
following:
- Changes in practice location (except if the location is changing from a location outside
- the moratorium area to a location inside the moratorium area).
- Changes in provider or supplier information, such as phone number or address.
- Changes in ownership (except changes in majority ownership (CIMOs) of home health
- agencies (HHAs), hospices, and suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) that would require an initial enrollment).
Also, in accordance with § 424.570(a)(1)(iv), a temporary moratorium does not apply to any enrollment application that has been received by the Medicare contractor prior to the date the moratorium is imposed. It also does not apply to enrollment applications received before the original moratorium took effect.
Medicaid, CHIP, and access to care
- States and territories retain discretion over Medicaid and CHIP HHA moratoria. Ohio and Rhode Island have adopted their own home-health moratoria.
- CMS reports no evidence that the May 2026 moratorium materially reduced access to home-health services nationally or at the state level, but says it will continue monitoring access, especially in rural areas.
Additional Information for Hospices and HHAs
Moratoria Continuation for Hospices and HHAs
If CMS deems it necessary, the moratoria for hospice and home health may be extended in 6-month increments. CMS evaluates whether to extend or lift the moratorium before the end of the initial 6-month period and, if applicable, before the expiration of any subsequent moratorium periods. If the moratorium announced in this notice is extended, CMS will publish a document regarding such extension(s) in the Federal Register.
Moratorium Cessation
CMS may lift a moratorium at any time if:
(1) The President declares an area a disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;
(2) circumstances warranting the imposition of a moratorium have abated or CMS has implemented program safeguards to address the program vulnerability;
(3) the Secretary has declared a public health emergency; or
(4) in the judgment of the Secretary, the moratorium is no longer needed.
Once a moratorium is lifted, the provider or supplier types that were unable to enroll because of the moratorium will be assigned to the “high” screening level in accordance with §§ 424.518(c)(3)(iii) and 455.450(e)(2) if such provider or supplier applies for enrollment at any time within 6 months from the date the moratorium was lifted.
Circumstances in Which Moratorium Is Inapplicable
Under § 424.570(a)(1)(iii), a temporary moratorium does not apply to any of the following:
- Changes in practice location (except if the location is changing from a location outside the moratorium area to a location inside the moratorium area).
- Changes in provider or supplier information, such as phone numbers or addresses.
- Changes in ownership (except changes in ownership of home health agencies, hospices, or suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) that would require an initial enrollment).
Additional resources
CMS Press Release: CMS Extends and Modifies Nationwide Freeze on New Medicare Hospice and Home Health Enrollment for Six Months to Combat Fraud
Questions? Contact CHAP