On July 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued both the 2026 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (PPS) and the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) PPS final rules. PYA's Martie Ross and Kathy Reep discussed several key provisions, including:

• Payment rate increases for inpatient acute facilities, long-term care hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities
• Revisions to the mandatory Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM)
• Changes to the wage index and related policies
• Updates to the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program
• Changes to the Hospital Readmissions and Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction programs, as well as the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program
• Revisions to the Promoting Interoperability program

Martie and Kathy also addressed key provisions in the 2026 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility and Inpatient Psychiatric Facility final rules issued by CMS on August 1.

100th Webinar!

On August 27, PYA's twice-monthly Healthcare Regulatory Roundup (HCRR) celebrated its 100th webinar in the series. Beginning with the first webinar in 2021, PYA experts have reliably provided practical insights on the latest industry regulatory developments. Thank you for your support of this sentinel series.

PYA is dedicated to helping healthcare organizations understand and comply with legislative and regulatory impacts. Contact Martie, Kathy, or any of our experts for assistance.