As a hospice chaplain, I see how staffing, contracts, and rules affect the care we can provide. That includes timely spiritual care and our ability to contribute to the team’s care planning.
CMS—the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—is asking for feedback on these issues. I hope the full care team’s experiences—including spiritual care—are part of the conversation.
CMS is hosting a virtual U.S. hospice listening session on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
🕑 2–3 p.m. ET / 1–2 p.m. CT / noon–1 p.m. MT / 11 a.m.–noon PT
The session is aimed at hospice administrators and associations. Hospice professionals with relevant expertise can register and request to speak.
CMS wants feedback on how to reduce fraud and waste while protecting patient health and safety. These are the questions CMS is asking:
- Are there existing Conditions of Participation (CoPs) that no longer reflect how hospice care is delivered today? If so, which CoPs should CMS prioritize for modernization?
- What operational challenges do hospices experience when trying to establish contracts with hospitals, rehabilitative therapists, etc.
- What workforce challenges have had the greatest impact on your ability to provide hospice services?
- What internal controls exist to prevent the enrollment of patients who do not meet hospice eligibility criteria?
- Are physicians who certify terminal illness independent, or do they have a financial relationship with your hospice? How is this documented?
Those providing care every day can help explain where rules support quality and safety, and where gaps or barriers make that work harder.
Event details and registration:
https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/4f33b15a-cc04-4620-b3f7-6416ce616a1e@fbdcedc1-70a9-414b-bfa5-c3063fc3395e
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