9 Important Hospice Changes for 2022

9 Important Hospice Changes for 2022

By Maureen Kelleher RN, MBA Senior Manager 

As we head into the new year, hospice providers should take note of nine new survey and enforcement provisions established in 2021 by an important new addition and several amendments to the Social Security Act.

Although many of these provisions became effective on Oct. 1, 2021, the full impact of the changes is expected to become more evident as 2022 progresses. Over the next few months, for example, hospice providers can expect to see surveyors ramp up scrutiny on compliance with Medicare’s Conditions of Participation (CoPs). Providers may also expect to see more multi-disciplinary teams of surveyors as both State Agencies (SA) and Accrediting Organizations (SA) build multi-disciplinary teams of surveyors.

In a few cases, including the establishment of some new enforcement remedies, the full changes set out under these changes to the Social Security Act do not have to be fully implemented until Oct. 1, 2022.

The process is the same

It is important to note that the survey process for hospice has not changed. It remains as outlined in the State Operations Manual at Chapter 2 and Appendix M, including the completion of the statement of deficiencies and submission to the facility for review and response.

All SAs and AOs will be required to conduct Standard Surveys no later than 36 months after the date of the previous standard survey.

Although requirements for hospice programs are not changing, the new survey and enforcement provisions will make survey results more transparent to the general public and will require hospice programs to focus on improving their compliance with CoPs.