CMS Froze New Medicare Enrollment for Home Health Agencies and Hospices to Fight Fraud

On May 13, 2026, CMS imposed a six-month nationwide moratorium blocking new home health agencies and hospices from enrolling in Medicare. The agency said it acted because both sectors carry elevated risk for fraud, waste, and abuse. The moratorium covers initial enrollment applications and certain changes in majority ownership; applications submitted after the effective date are being denied.

During the moratorium, CMS is intensifying targeted investigations, deploying advanced data analytics, and working to remove providers it suspects of fraud from the program. The agency can extend the moratorium in six-month increments if warranted.

For Medicare beneficiaries, the freeze should not affect access to services from currently enrolled providers. Existing home health agencies and hospices can continue serving patients under the same terms as before.

The moratorium is one of several anti-fraud tools available to CMS under federal law when the agency determines that a provider category poses an elevated risk to Medicare. CMS has used similar enrollment freezes in specific geographic areas in past years; this one is nationwide and covers both provider types simultaneously. The agency updated its guidance for providers and surveyors on these moratoria in July 2026, indicating that active oversight of both sectors is ongoing.