On December 12, 2014, CMS published a proposed rule to revise selected conditions of participation (CoPs) for providers, conditions for coverage (CfCs) for suppliers, and requirements for long-term care (LTC) facilities to conform with the Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor, and ensure that same-sex spouses in legally-valid marriages are recognized and afforded equal rights in Medicare and Medicaid participating facilities. The proposed rule addresses nine specific provisions located in the CoPs and CfCs for ambulatory surgical centers, hospices, hospitals, LTC facilities, and community and mental health centers that CMS believes could be interpreted to support the denial of federal rights and privileges to a same-sex spouse if the state of residence does not recognize same-sex marriages. CMS states that its “goal is to provide equal treatment to spouses, regardless of their sex, whenever the marriage was valid in the jurisdiction in which it was entered into, without regard to whether the marriage is also recognized in the state of residence or the jurisdiction in which the health care provider or supplier is located, and where the Medicare program explicitly or impliedly provides for specific treatment of spouses.”   Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until February 10, 2015.