On May 13, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the imposition of a six‑month nationwide moratorium on Medicare enrollment for home health agencies (HHAs) and, in a separate but concurrent action, a six-month nationwide moratorium on Medicare enrollment for hospices. The HHA and hospice moratoria are effective May 13, 2026.

Tied to CMS’s “crackdown on fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare program by stopping improper billing and preventing bad actors from entering the system,” this is another CMS action aimed at addressing fraud. See our prior alert regarding the current Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Medicare enrollment moratorium.

This alert summarizes the moratoria and provides key takeaways for providers, investors, and other stakeholders.

The moratoria are temporary six-month bans on all new:

The moratoria do not apply if the applicable Medicare contractor received the HHA’s or hospice’s enrollment application before May 13, 2026.

Geographically, the moratoria apply to HHAs and hospices seeking to enroll anywhere in the US, including all states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

CMS notes that prior HHA moratoria included the establishment of HHA subunits of branches, but that since CMS ended the “subunit” designation in 2018, subunits are not part of the present HHA moratorium.

They could. The moratoria apply to new enrollments of HHAs and hospices required under the Change in Majority Ownership (CIMO) rule (42 C.F.R. § 424.550(b)). Unlike the recent DMEPOS CIMO rule, which became effective January 1, 2026, the CIMO rule impacting HHAs and hospices has been in effect since 2010 for HHAs and 2024 for hospices. The CIMO rule for HHAs and hospices requires HHAs and hospices that are undergoing a non-exempt CIMO within 36 months of their initial enrollment (or within 36 months of their most recent CIMO) to enroll in Medicare as a brand-new HHA or hospice and undergo a state survey or accreditation. The current enrollment and provider agreement of the HHAs and hospices are terminated in that situation.

Therefore, if an HHA or hospice undergoes a non-exempt CIMO within 36 months of its initial enrollment (or within 36 months of its most recent CIMO) to enroll in Medicare as a new HHA or hospice, the moratoria would prohibit the HHA or hospice from re-enrolling in the Medicare program (as a result of a non-exempt CIMO), because it would constitute an initial enrollment.

No. The moratoria do not directly apply to state Medicaid program enrollment; however, CMS is permitting each state to implement HHA and hospice moratoria based on its beneficiary population and geographic considerations. CMS is encouraging each state to consult with CMS on the prospect of implementing a Medicaid- or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)-based (or both) HHA or hospice moratorium in their jurisdiction.