No Addendum, No Payment: Mastering the New Mandatory
Hospice Election Statement Addendum

Effective October 1, 2026, CMS fundamentally changed the Hospice Election Statement Addendum by requiring hospices to provide it to every Medicare beneficiary electing hospice—not just those who request it. The stakes are significant: a complete and timely addendum containing all required elements is now a condition for Medicare payment, creating potential financial and compliance risk when the process is missed or documentation is incomplete.

CMS has provided a limited period of enforcement discretion from October 1 through December 31, 2026, giving hospices a critical, but brief, opportunity to identify gaps, educate staff, and hardwire compliant processes before full enforcement begins.

Join us for a live webinar on November 5th at 2PM EST, when hospice regulatory compliance and reimbursement expert Annette Lee MS, RN, COS-C, HCS-D, will break down the required timing, content, signatures, updates, and documentation and translate the requirements into practical admission and clinical workflows. The transition window is already open and closing quickly, so hospice leaders must use this time to ensure their processes are ready before payment is at risk.