The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a six-month nationwide moratorium on the enrollment of newly enrolling home health agencies and hospice providers into Medicare, effective May 13, 2026, as part of a broader federal initiative focused on combating fraud, waste, and abuse within the Medicare program.

• CMS Announces Nationwide Temporary Enrollment Moratorium for Home Health Agencies
• CMS Announces Nationwide Temporary Enrollment Moratorium for Hospices
• CMS Frequently Asked Questions: Home Health Agency and Hospice Enrollment Moratoria

The action follows a separate nationwide moratorium implemented on February 27, 2026, affecting certain categories of Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) suppliers. Together, the actions signal an increasingly aggressive federal program integrity posture targeting provider enrollment and screening activities, with the potential for future extensions or additional restrictions.

While the current moratoria apply only to Medicare enrollment, the announcement is already generating significant operational and strategic questions across the broader home care industry — including potential downstream implications for Medicaid enrollment and managed care participation in states such as Florida.

What the Medicare Moratoria Do

The six-month moratoria prohibit the enrollment of newly enrolling home health agencies and hospice providers into Medicare nationwide.

Existing Medicare-enrolled providers may continue serving beneficiaries and billing for covered services without interruption.

The moratoria do not apply to:

• Enrollment applications received by the Medicare contractor before May 13, 2026;
• Changes in provider or supplier information, such as addresses or phone numbers;
• Certain ownership changes requiring initial enrollment; or
• Practice location changes, except in certain circumstances involving movement into a moratorium area.

CMS has also released supplemental question-and-answer guidance addressing operational aspects of the moratoria for home health and hospice providers.

Medicaid Implications for Florida

Although CMS declined to impose a nationwide Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) moratorium at this time, the agency explicitly encouraged states to evaluate whether Medicaid- or CHIP-based enrollment moratoria may be appropriate and offered states the opportunity to consult directly with CMS regarding potential implementation.

That distinction is especially important in Florida, which previously operated under a Medicaid home health agency enrollment moratorium for several years following earlier federal program integrity actions.

During that period, existing Medicaid providers generally remained operational and continued billing Medicaid; however, new provider enrollment opportunities became highly restricted except under limited state-approved exceptions and regional flexibilities.

Those limited pathways included certain qualifying changes of ownership and restricted enrollment opportunities tied to factors such as Medicaid participation history, licensure standing, financial compliance, and pediatric utilization metrics.

For providers that are not currently enrolled in Florida Medicaid, not contracted with Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) plans, or considering future Medicaid participation, the announcement may warrant immediate attention. If Florida were to revisit Medicaid enrollment restrictions in the future, providers that delay enrollment or contracting efforts could face significantly more limited opportunities later.

Even absent a formal Medicaid moratorium, providers should anticipate heightened scrutiny surrounding enrollment, credentialing, ownership structures, and program integrity oversight at both the federal and state levels.

HCAF’s policy team is actively monitoring developments and engaging with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) regarding any potential Medicaid implications in Florida.

HCAF Position

HCAF and the National Alliance for Care at Home strongly opposes blanket, nationwide enrollment moratoria and has consistently advocated for targeted, data-driven program integrity measures that protect beneficiaries and taxpayer dollars without restricting access in areas where legitimate provider growth is needed.

Fraud must be aggressively addressed. However, broad moratoria risk penalizing legitimate providers operating in good faith, limiting beneficiary choice, and constraining access to care without necessarily removing bad actors already participating in the program.

HCAF will continue monitoring federal and state developments closely and will provide members with additional analysis, advocacy updates, and operational guidance as more information becomes available.