On May 13, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a nationwide moratorium on the enrollment of new home health agencies and hospices in Medicare. The moratorium took effect immediately and will remain in place for an initial six-month period.

During this period, new providers cannot enroll in Medicare as HHAs or hospices. Initial enrollment applications submitted on or after May 13, 2026, will be denied while the moratorium is active.

This action is part of CMS’s broader effort to strengthen program integrity and reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in the home health and hospice sectors. Unlike past moratoria that focused on specific regions, this one applies nationwide.

Scope of the Moratorium

The moratorium applies to new HHAs and hospices seeking Medicare enrollment on or after May 13, 2026. It also applies to certain ownership changes that require a new Medicare enrollment.

Organizations involved in home health agency transactions should pay close attention to CMS’s 36-Month Rule. Under this rule, a change in majority ownership of an HHA within 36 months of its initial enrollment, or its most recent majority ownership change, may require the agency to enroll as a new Medicare provider.

CMS has clarified that, unless an exception applies, enrollments triggered by the 36-Month Rule are subject to the current moratorium.

Applications received by a Medicare contractor before May 13, 2026, are not affected and may continue through the review process.

The moratorium does not apply to existing Medicare-enrolled HHAs and hospices that are renewing or updating their enrollment information. Current providers may continue operating and may update details such as addresses, phone numbers, and other provider information without triggering the moratorium.

Why CMS Issued the Moratorium

CMS said the moratorium is intended to address a significant risk of fraud, waste, and abuse in the home health and hospice sectors.

The agency pointed to several concerns, including rapid growth in provider enrollments in certain markets, improper billing patterns, and inappropriate or unauthorized Medicare beneficiary enrollments.

CMS stated that the goal is to prevent fraud before it occurs, rather than responding only after improper activity has already taken place.

The agency also noted that it will consider beneficiary access to care while administering the moratorium.

What Providers Should Expect Next

The moratorium is currently set for an initial six-month period. However, CMS may extend it in additional six-month increments if it determines that program integrity concerns remain.

Past CMS actions suggest that extensions are possible. Beginning in 2013, CMS issued targeted moratoria for home health agencies and ambulance suppliers in several high-risk areas, including parts of Florida, Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Those restrictions were extended multiple times before ending in January 2019.

More recently, in February 2026, CMS also placed a nationwide moratorium on certain DMEPOS suppliers, showing that the agency is increasingly willing to use broad enrollment restrictions when it identifies risk.

Key Takeaway

Home health agencies and hospices should prepare for the possibility that this moratorium may last beyond the initial six months.

Providers involved in enrollment, ownership changes, acquisitions, or compliance planning should review their Medicare enrollment status carefully and assess how the moratorium may affect pending or future transactions.

While CMS has not announced a similar nationwide moratorium for Medicaid or CHIP, states are generally required to follow CMS-imposed moratoria unless doing so would negatively affect access to care. CMS has also encouraged states to consider whether similar actions may be needed within their own programs.