CMS Imposes Six-Month Nationwide Moratorium on New Medicare Enrollment for Hospices and Home Health Agencies

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services imposed a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollments for hospices and home health agencies effective May 13, 2026. According to CMS officials, the pause aims to protect beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars by combating fraud, waste and abuse in these high-risk provider categories.

The moratorium, which took effect immediately on May 13, 2026, applies nationwide to all new Medicare enrollments for hospice providers and home health agencies, according to a CMS press release titled “CMS Announces Aggressive Nationwide Crackdown on Fraud with Six-Month Hospice, Home Health Agency Enrollment Moratoria.” CMS officials said the pause also covers certain changes in majority ownership that require new enrollment, effectively blocking new entries into these high-risk provider categories.

Existing hospice and home health providers will not be affected and may continue delivering services to Medicare beneficiaries, CMS guidance clarified.

The agency emphasized that this front-end program integrity tool is designed to prevent bad actors from entering the Medicare system and to accelerate the removal of suspected fraudulent providers. CMS plans to use the moratorium period to intensify targeted investigations and deploy advanced data analytics, officials said.

The six-month moratorium may be extended in six-month increments if CMS determines it is necessary. The agency will evaluate whether to lift or prolong the moratorium before the end of the initial period and will publish any extensions in the Federal Register, according to CMS. Providers and industry groups have been advised to monitor CMS communications and Federal Register notices for updates.

CMS officials linked the moratorium to efforts to protect Medicare beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars by combating fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare program. The agency said the action is being carried out in coordination with Vice President JD Vance’s Anti-Fraud Task Force and is part of the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on Medicare fraud. Legal experts have noted that CMS’s authority to impose temporary enrollment moratoria stems from 42 CFR § 424.570, which allows such actions when there is a significant potential for fraud, waste, or abuse.

The moratorium will result in the denial or non-processing of initial Medicare enrollment applications submitted during the six-month period. It may also delay transactions or ownership changes that require Medicare enrollment approval, industry summaries indicate. However, the moratorium does not alter the existing 36-month rule that governs hospice and home health ownership changes. Providers affected by the moratorium will be able to resubmit enrollment applications once the pause is lifted.

The American Hospital Association expressed support for CMS’s efforts to protect Medicare integrity and combat fraud but cautioned against broad restrictions on entire provider categories. Ashley Thompson, senior vice president of the AHA, warned that the moratorium could exacerbate existing staffing shortages and access challenges in post-acute care settings. CMS officials acknowledged these concerns but stated they do not believe the nationwide moratorium will threaten beneficiaries’ ability to receive hospice or home health services. The agency said it will monitor for access-to-care issues, including in rural areas, while the moratorium is in effect.