The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule. In this webinar, Martie Ross and Kathy Reep discussed key provisions of the 2026 Hospital OPPS final rule and related developments. Attendees will gain knowledge from these learning objectives:

• Details of 2026 OPPS final rule
• Developments in care for end-stage renal disease
• Status update on home health final rules
• Information about payment updates
• Actions on site neutrality
• Changes to the 340B Drug Program
• Aspects of the inpatient-only list
• Updates about price transparency

This webinar is part of PYA's twice-monthly Healthcare Regulatory Roundup, a popular series during which PYA experts provide practical insights on the latest industry regulatory developments. For more than 40 years, PYA has been committed to regulatory compliance and helping healthcare organizations create attainable compliance programs while mitigating risks.

A strong compliance program begins with a clear understanding of organizational risks. This webinar guides you through the purpose, process, and practical application of conducting a compliance risk assessment—and how to transform the findings into a robust annual framework.

During this webinar, PYA Principals Shannon Sumner and Rhonda Buckholtz explained the importance of effective risk assessments and how to incorporate them into your annual plan.

Shannon and Rhonda addressed the following objectives:

• Defining the role of risk assessments.
• Identifying common risk areas.
• Applying a structured methodology.
• Demonstrating documentation practices for key stakeholders.
• Incorporating ongoing monitoring and feedback loops to update risk assessments.

RELATED LINKS:

• U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs
• OIG General Compliance Program Guidance
• COSO ERM Framework

On October 1 — the first day of the new federal fiscal year — PYA's Martie Ross and Kathy Reep provided a timely update on federal policy developments shaping healthcare. They reviewed the latest actions from Congress and federal agencies, focusing on issues that have a direct impact on providers and healthcare organizations.

Key topics for discussion included:

• Federal FY 2026 discretionary spending and government shutdown risk
• Calendar Year 2026 Medicare sequestration status
• Rural Health Transformation Program funding opportunity and deadlines
• Congressional hearings on tax-exempt hospitals
• New visa application fees and implications for healthcare

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in medical devices. As AI becomes embedded in connected health technologies, the cybersecurity risks associated with such devices are growing exponentially.

This webinar explores how the FDA's lifecycle-based approach to AI regulation intersects with cybersecurity for connected medical devices. Principals Barry Mathis and John Cross provided an overview of the FDA's draft guidance on AI/ML-enabled medical devices and discussed how cybersecurity risks in the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) can be addressed.

Attendees gained knowledge through these learning objectives:

• Learn about AI and its use cases, including use in embedded medical devices
• Understand the FDA's Total Product Lifecycle approach to regulating AI/ML-enabled medical devices
• Identify cybersecurity risks unique to IoMT devices
• Analyze a real-world case study of an AI-enabled insulin pump and its cybersecurity implications
• Apply compliance strategies, including Secure Product Development Frameworks and Software Bill of Materials, to meet FDA expectations

This webinar is part of PYA's twice-monthly Healthcare Regulatory Roundup, a popular series during which PYA experts provide practical insights on the latest industry regulatory developments.

PYA is dedicated to helping healthcare organizations understand regulatory requirements and prepare for and respond to cybersecurity threats.

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.

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.

On July 14, CMS released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (MPFS). The proposed rule includes several significant policy changes that could impact physicians for years to come. During this two-part webinar series, PYA experts went deep into these changes to help you understand and prepare for what's coming next.

Presented August 13, 2025, by Valerie Rock and Martie Ross

Topics:

• Telehealth
• Global Payments
• Skin Substitutes
• Care Management
• Prevention and Wellness

The popular twice-monthly PYA Healthcare Regulatory Roundup provides practical insights on the latest industry regulatory developments.

PYA helps healthcare leaders with legislative and regulatory impacts and matters involving compliance, valuation, strategy, and transactions.

On July 14, CMS released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule (MPFS). The proposed rule includes several significant policy changes that could impact physicians for years to come. During this two-part webinar series, PYA experts will go deep into these changes to help you understand and prepare for what's coming next.

Presented July 30, 2025, by Martie Ross, Sarah Bowman, and Lori Foley

Topics Covered:

• 2026 Payment Rate/Conversion Factor
• Efficiency Adjustment
• Practice Expense Methodology
• Ambulatory Specialty Model (new mandatory alternative payment model)
• Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
• Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP)

Compensation is no longer just a financial tool—it's a powerful strategy to shape behavior, align priorities, and drive performance. Thoughtful compensation design can foster a culture of quality, boost collaboration and accountability, and enhance patient and provider satisfaction.

During this webinar, PYA Principal Angie Caldwell and Manager Ericka Dickinson discussed why strategically aligned compensation models are so important in today's healthcare landscape and provided ways to align your provider compensation models to your organization's strategic goals.

Attendees gained knowledge from these learning objectives:

• Learn ways your organization may be impacted by a strategically aligned compensation model
• Understand how to enhance recruiting efforts
• Gain improvement in retention and satisfaction rates
• Assess methods to operationalize alignment

Learn more:

• Benefits of strategically aligned compensation models
• PYA's Compensation Valuation Planning and Design

For more than 40 years, PYA has helped healthcare leaders with provider compensation design, fair market value, commercial reasonableness, and other matters related to compensation valuation, compliance, strategy, and integration.

Presented: July 22, 2025.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) is now law, and healthcare providers must quickly assess its implications. In this session, PYA's Martie Ross and Kathy Reep examined OBBBA's sweeping changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA Marketplace.

Martie and Kathy also addressed new proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), including the 2026 hospital outpatient, home health, and end-stage renal disease payment rules.

Presented on: July 16, 2025.

Twice each year, PYA's Center for Rural Health Advancement presents a deep dive into the most challenging regulatory and reimbursement issues facing rural health providers and the communities they serve.

During this 90-minute webinar, PYA's Martie Ross and Kathy Reep provided practical insights and advice for rural health leaders on the following topics:

• Impact of One Big Beautiful Bill on rural providers
• Impact of HHS restructuring on rural providers
• Key provisions of proposed 2026 Medicare payment rules
• Current telehealth policy update
• Recent regulatory developments, including price transparency, HIPAA, EMTALA, Conditions of Participation, and more
• Federal enforcement activity
• What rural leaders need to know about Medicare Advantage

This webinar is part of PYA's Let's Get Rural series, which reflects PYA's commitment to helping rural health providers preserve access to high-quality services for their communities. Check out all of PYA's Let's Get Rural webinars.

PYA experts are committed to assisting with the unique needs of rural healthcare, including regulatory impacts, reimbursement opportunities, and any matter involving compliance, valuation, strategy, and transactions.