Summary

GAO reviewed the Department of Health and Human Service's, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) new rule on the hospice wage index for fiscal year 2009. GAO found that (1) the final rule sets forth the hospice wage index for fiscal year 2009; and finalizes the policy to phase out the Medicare budget neutrality adjustment factor and clarifies two wage index issues pertaining to the definition of rural and urban areas and multi-campus hospital facilities; and (2) CMS complied with applicable requirementrs in promulgating the rule.