05/26/2026
Federal Hospice & Home Health Fraud Bill Advances in Congress
A bipartisan hospice and home health program integrity bill moved forward in Congress this week, signaling continued federal focus on fraud prevention, provider oversight, and Medicare program integrity.
The Protecting Seniors and Stopping Fraudsters Act (H.R. 8883) advanced out of the House Ways and Means Committee on May 21 with bipartisan support. The legislation includes several targeted measures aimed at identifying fraudulent providers while minimizing additional burden on legitimate hospice and home health organizations.
Key provisions of the bill would:
- Increase survey frequency for newly enrolled providers, organizations with ownership changes, and providers exhibiting signs of fraudulent behavior
- Expand screening requirements for providers considered at high risk for fraud, including fingerprinting requirements and proof of liability insurance
- Increase the penalty for failure to submit required quality reporting data from 4% to 15%
- Strengthen oversight and training requirements for accrediting organizations
- Require beneficiary notifications when enrolled in hospice, including information on how to report concerns or disenroll if fraud is suspected
- Require annual reporting to Congress on CMS fraud prevention and enforcement efforts
Why it matters
Federal oversight of hospice and home health continues to evolve. This legislation would place several program integrity measures directly into federal law while increasing accountability for providers and accrediting organizations.
For Ohio providers, the bill reinforces ongoing federal priorities around quality reporting, ownership transparency, survey readiness, and fraud prevention.
What to do
- Continue monitoring developments as the bill moves through Congress
- Review quality reporting processes and submission timelines
- Ensure survey readiness and compliance programs remain strong
- Watch for future guidance from LeadingAge and LeadingAge Ohio regarding implementation and advocacy efforts