Inside Medicare’s Massive 2026 Overhaul: Who Wins, Who Pays, Who Hurts?

Inside Medicare’s Massive 2026 Overhaul: Who Wins, Who Pays, Who Hurts?

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government is rolling out one of the most sweeping Medicare overhauls in years, reshaping how the program pays for kidney dialysis, hospital outpatient services, surgeries, mental health care and even nuclear medicine — while tightening hospital price transparency rules and putting new pressure on facilities with poor patient-safety records. In a pair of major final rules issued this past week, the Centers for Medi…

2026 Medicare final rule postpones a significant payment cut for hospitals

While implementing several policies that could constrain hospital finances next year and beyond, CMS offered temporary relief on one count. The Medicare 2026 rule for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) was proposed to include an across-the-board 2% cut to base payments. But CMS, acknowledging the concerns of hospitals, kept the scheduled cut at 0.5% for next year, while saying the higher decrease is likely sta…

ASCA Supports Medicare’s 2026 Final Rule That Vastly Expands ASC-CPL

On November 21, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) final rule. The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) supports key policy updates in the rule that will enhance beneficiary access to vital surgical services, lower costs for patients and reduce long-term spending for the Medicare program. “CMS acknowledges in this rule that…

CMS increases Medicare hospital outpatient department payment rates by 2.6% in CY 2026 – RamaOnHealthcare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 21 issued a final rule that, among other provisions, increases Medicare hospital outpatient

CMS increases Medicare hospital outpatient department payment rates by 2.6% in CY 2026

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Nov. 21 issued a final rule that, among other provisions, increases Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by a net 2.6% in calendar year 2026 compared to 2025. This includes a 3.3% market basket update, offset by a 0.7 percentage point cut for productivity. The rule includes payment reductions via site-neutral payment policies, the elimination of the inpatient-only list and oth…