July 31 Fiscal Year End: Cost Report Due December 31, 2026
Christian Soriaga, CPA6 min read
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Quick answer: If your fiscal year ends July 31, your Medicare cost report is due Thursday, December 31, 2026 (42 CFR 413.24(f)(2)). That date is a weekday, so it does not move.
This guide covers the July 31 fiscal year end cost report due date for home health agencies and hospices. As of November 11, you have 50 days. Below is a plan for each week, including Thanksgiving and the December holidays, plus what happens if you file late.
Key takeaways
- Due date: Thursday, December 31, 2026, for the fiscal year that ended July 31, 2026.
- Rule: Due on or before the last day of the fifth month after the period ends (42 CFR 413.24(f)(2)).
- Holidays: The date is not a weekend or federal holiday, so no next-business-day rule applies.
- Our advice: File by Wednesday, December 16. Offices run thin in the last two weeks of December.
- Forms: CMS-1728-20 for home health. CMS-1984-14 for hospice.
- Late means suspended payments (42 CFR 405.371(d)(1)).
Want a timeline built for the holidays? Book a free 20-minute call and we will set your dates.
When is a July 31 fiscal year end cost report due?
It is due Thursday, December 31, 2026. The rule is in 42 CFR 413.24(f)(2). Cost reports are due on or before the last day of the fifth month after the period ends. Count five months from July 31: August, September, October, November, December. The last day of December is the 31st.
If your year ends on a day that is not the last day of a month, the report is due 150 days after the last day of the period. Use the cost report deadline calculator to check your own date. Our main guide on when the Medicare cost report is due lists every month.
What to do: Put December 16 on your calendar as your internal deadline.
Does the holiday week change the due date?
No. December 31, 2026 is a Thursday. It is not a weekend and not a federal holiday. Noridian's cost report page says a report is timely on the next business day only if the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday. That does not apply here.
So you have no grace day. The risks are practical ones:
- Staff and your MAC contacts take time off in the last two weeks of December.
- A rejected report is treated as if it was never filed (42 CFR 413.24(f)). If you file on December 31 and the MAC returns it, you are late.
- Your bank, payroll company and software vendor may have limited help that week.
What to do: Ask your MAC in writing how it handles questions during the holidays. Plan to file before they leave.
What to file
| Provider type | Form |
|---|---|
| Freestanding home health agency | CMS-1728-20 |
| Hospice | CMS-1984-14 |
Both go to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), usually through the Medicare Cost Report e-Filing system (MCReF). Read more on our home health cost report and hospice cost report pages.
Hospices also have a separate self-determined cap under 42 CFR 418.308. It has its own cap year and its own due date. It is not part of the cost report, and a July 31 year end does not set it.
Our fee for a home health or hospice cost report is a $1,599.99 flat fee. It is $500 if the agency had no Medicare utilization. The hospice cap calculation is quoted separately.
What to do: Confirm your form and your period end date before anyone starts work.
What to do this week
Your books for the year should be closed. Use this plan, with the holiday weeks marked:
| Week of | Task |
|---|---|
| Nov 11 | Confirm the period and form. Download the cost report document checklist. Print the trial balance for the year ended July 31, 2026. |
| Nov 16 | Pull the PS&R report (the Medicare summary of your claims and payments). Compare its revenue to your general ledger and list every gap. |
| Nov 23 | Collect payroll records, the depreciation schedule and last year's cost report. Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov 26. Plan for a short week. |
| Nov 30 | Resolve the gaps from the PS&R comparison. Start the report. |
| Dec 7 | Finish the draft and review it line by line. |
| Dec 14 | Fix review notes. File by Wednesday, Dec 16. |
| Dec 21 | Buffer week. Christmas is Friday, Dec 25. Use it only to fix a rejection. |
| Dec 28 | Last chance. Due Thursday, Dec 31. Friday, Jan 1 is a federal holiday. |
What to do: If the PS&R comparison turns up a gap you cannot explain, ask for help the week of November 16. It costs far less to fix in November than in the last week of December.
What happens if the cost report is late?
Medicare payment can be suspended. Under 42 CFR 405.371(d)(1), if a provider has failed to timely file an acceptable cost report, payment to the provider is immediately suspended in whole or in part.
We cannot tell you when payments resume. That depends on your MAC accepting the report. We have not found a published dollar penalty for a late home health or hospice cost report, so we do not quote one.
Extensions are narrow. The MAC can grant one only when your operations are significantly adversely affected by extraordinary circumstances you cannot control, such as a flood or fire. If you are already past a due date, read our page on a late or rejected Medicare cost report.
What to do: If you may miss the date, call your MAC and a CPA at the same time.
What we see in practice
A report due December 31 lands in the worst weeks of the year. The work gets pushed past Thanksgiving, then the PS&R report does not match the ledger, and the person who knows the answer is on vacation.
Starting now gives you room. Book a free 20-minute call and we will map out your weeks. You can also read about our Medicare cost report filing service.
Frequently asked questions
When is the cost report due for a July 31 fiscal year end?
Thursday, December 31, 2026. A Medicare cost report is due on or before the last day of the fifth month after the period ends (42 CFR 413.24(f)(2)). Five months after July 31, 2026 is December 31, 2026.
Does the due date move because it falls on New Year's Eve?
No. December 31, 2026 is a Thursday and not a federal holiday. Noridian's page moves a due date to the next business day only when it falls on a weekend or federal holiday. Your office may close early, so we suggest filing by Wednesday, December 16.
Which form do I file?
A freestanding home health agency files Form CMS-1728-20. A hospice files Form CMS-1984-14. Both go to your Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC), usually through the Medicare Cost Report e-Filing system (MCReF).
Is the hospice cap due the same day?
No. The hospice cap is a separate filing with its own cap year and its own due date (42 CFR 418.308). A July 31 fiscal year end does not set the cap date.
What happens if I miss the due date?
If a provider has failed to timely file an acceptable cost report, Medicare payment is immediately suspended in whole or in part (42 CFR 405.371(d)(1)). We cannot say when payments resume. That depends on your MAC accepting the report.
Can I get an extension?
Only for extraordinary circumstances you cannot control, such as a flood or fire. The MAC decides (42 CFR 413.24(f)(2)). A busy season, holidays, staff turnover or missing records do not qualify.
When should I start a July 31 cost report?
Start now. Your books for the year are closed and the PS&R report is available. You have about seven weeks, and two of them include holidays.
Next step
Book a free 20-minute call with Christian Soriaga, CPA. We will confirm your date and plan your filing.
Sources
- eCFR, 42 CFR 413.24, Adequate cost data and cost finding (due date and extensions, paragraph (f)(2))
- eCFR, 42 CFR 405.371, Suspension, offset, and recoupment of payments to providers and suppliers (paragraph (d)(1))
- eCFR, 42 CFR 418.308, The hospice aggregate cap
- Noridian Medicare, Cost reports (weekend and federal holiday rule)
Last updated: November 2026. Dates checked October 30, 2026. Confirm your own due date with your MAC.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Soriaga & Associates, LLC is a CPA firm founded in 1985 in Lisle, Illinois, serving home health, hospice, home care, wound care and dental providers nationwide. (630) 491-1268.
