The purpose of this letter is to inform Medicaid Hospice providers, effective October 1, 2014, the
use of nonspecific diagnosis ICD codes for “debility” and “adult failure to thrive” will no longer
be acceptable as the principal diagnosis on Form 3071, Individual Election/Cancellation/Update,
for Medicaid hospice certification.
In the August 7, 2013 publication of the Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) issued a final rule: Medicare Program; FY2014 Hospice Wage Index and Payment
Rate Update; Hospice Quality Reporting Requirements; and Updates on Payment Reform. In this
final rule, CMS announced that effective October 1, 2014 all Medicare claims for hospice services
with the ICD codes for “debility” and “adult failure to thrive” will not be accepted for payment.
Therefore, effective October 1, 2014, the Department of Aging and Disability Services will no
longer accept ICD codes for “debility” or “adult failure to thrive” as the principal diagnosis on
Form 3071, Individual Election/Cancellation/Update. However, these ICD codes may be used as
secondary diagnoses codes.
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