The Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) is on pause, for now, after an announcement on Feb. 14, 2025, that implementation “has ceased so that CMS may further evaluate the program.”
 
The SFP targets hospices struggling with quality performance measures, survey citations or substantiated complaints. Those providers on the list would have received additional survey oversight, with the expectation that they improve or face potential removal from the Medicare program.
 
In December, CMS published the list of the 50 hospices participating in the SFP for 2025. A larger list of providers eligible for SFP inclusion was created, but CMS had decided against releasing that list.
 
Now, CMS has removed all information on the SFP page, including the participant list, the SFP methodology and Q&As.
 
The industry has supported CMS' broader efforts to target bogus hospice providers, but stakeholders were critical of the SFP methodology. A statement from The National Alliance for Care at Home welcomed the news, noting the Alliance was ready to find a more “evidence-based regulatory framework focused on real problem areas.”
 
“We welcome this shift in direction and look forward to working with CMS, lawmakers, and stakeholders to develop a fair and effective oversight process that ensures accountability without jeopardizing access to care,” according to the Alliance statement.