On August 29, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the final version of the new Medicare cost report, Form CMS 1984-14, applicable to freestanding hospice providers. Freestanding hospice providers must use the new form for cost-reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2014. It is anticipated that similar rules for provider-based hospices will follow. A copy of the new form and instructions for completing the same are available here:

The revised cost reporting form is substantially expanded, and requires, among other changes, that providers report direct patient care costs based on the level of care that was provided. In order to comply with these new reporting requirements, hospices will need to modify their existing chart of accounts. One such modification is to ensure that all costs associated with each of the four different levels of care be kept in separate general ledger accounts. This represents a substantial expansion of hospices’ obligations to document costs in their accounting records. However, this practice will facilitate completion of the following new worksheets: (A) A-1: Continuous Home Care; (B) A-2: Routine Home Care; (C) A-3: Inpatient Respite Care; (D) A-4: General Inpatient Care.

The forms and instructions were revised in accordance with the statutory requirement for hospice payment reform, as required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Act, and to incorporate data previously reported on Form CMS-339, the Provider Cost Report Reimbursement Questionnaire. The expanded data captured by the new cost report will be used in future years to facilitate payment reform.