CMS Imposes Nationwide Freeze on New Home Health and Hospice Enrollments
5/18/2026
On May 13, 2026, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an “Aggressive Nationwide Crackdown on Fraud with Six-Month Hospice and Home Health Agency Enrollment Moratoria.” The moratoria is intended to “temporarily halt the influx of new providers into these high-risk categories—a key source of fraudulent activity.”
CMS stated that during the 6-month moratoria, it will intensify its targeted investigations and take measures to eliminate existing bad actor home health and hospice operators from the Medicare program. If CMS deems it necessary, each moratorium may be extended in 6-month increments. CMS also may lift a moratorium under certain circumstances.
The moratoria will apply to all applications for initial enrollment received by the applicable Medicare contractor on or after May 13, 2026. Beginning on that date, no new home health agencies or hospices, and new home health agency or hospice branches or practice locations, will be enrolled in the Medicare program, unless the agency’s or hospice’s enrollment application was received by the applicable Medicare contractor prior to May 13, 2026. The moratoria apply to home health agencies and hospices seeking to enroll anywhere in the United States, including all states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
The moratoria will not apply to:
- 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; or
- changes in ownership (except changes in ownership that would require an initial enrollment).
The moratoria likely will have an impact on existing Medicare-certified home health and hospice providers seeking to engage in business expansions or sales, including those already in process.
The moratoria were published in the Federal Register on May 15, 2026 and can be located at: Home Health and Hospice.
If you have any questions about the moratoria or need assistance for your organization, please contact:
Lani M. Dornfeld, Esq., CHPC, Member, Healthcare Law Practice at 973.403.3136 or ldornfeld@bracheichler.com
Lani M. Dornfeld
CHPC, Member
Healthcare Law
973.403.3136 · 973.618.5536 Fax
ldornfeld@bracheichler.com
