Medicare program; FY 2015 hospice wage index and payment rate update; hospice quality reporting requirements and process and appeals for Part D payment for drugs for beneficiaries enrolled in hospice. Final rule.

This final rule will update the hospice payment rates and the wage index for fiscal year (FY) 2015 and continue the phase-out of the wage index budget neutrality adjustment factor (BNAF). This rule provides an update on hospice payment reform analyses, potential definitions of "terminal illness'' and "related conditions,'' and information on potential processes and appeals for Part D payment for drugs while beneficiaries are under a hospice election. This rule will specify timeframes for filing the notice of election and the notice of termination/revocation; add the attending physician to the hospice election form, and require hospices to document changes to the attending physician; require hospices to complete their hospice aggregate cap determinations within 5 months after the cap year ends, and remit any overpayments; and update the hospice quality reporting program. In addition, this rule will provide guidance on determining hospice eligibility; information on the delay in the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM); and will further clarify how hospices are to report diagnoses on hospice claims. Finally, the rule will make a technical regulations text change.