CMS updates
This page collects dated items published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: rules, corrections and notices in the Federal Register, Quality, Safety & Oversight memos to state survey agencies, and articles from the MLN Connects provider newsletter. Each entry quotes or reports one sentence from the CMS source and links to it, and adds the effective date or comment deadline when CMS states one. IHS follows these items because Medicare conditions, survey memos and payment rules shape the policies, evidence files and survey preparation that IHS drafts with the organizations it supports. The entries report what CMS published. They do not interpret it, and the linked CMS page is the original wording.
Related IHS services: Medicare Advantage and Part D Compliance Program and FDR Oversight Consulting · Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Certification Readiness Consulting
Last checked: . 16 entries.
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This federal investment will support new mobile health units, remote patient monitoring, cybersecurity upgrades, and expanded care teams serving rural Delaware and bringing better access and the latest technology to residents. The Trump Administration announced that nearly $23 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding is being delivered to strengthen health care delivery and expand access for rural Delawareans. The funding will support Delaware's 3 federally qualified health centers as they modernize technology, strengthen chronic disease management, and expand services for the communities they serve. The awards will support electronic medical record upgrades, remote patient monitoring, cybersecurity, expanded care teams, and care coordination, along with 2 new mobile health units and a passenger van to expand access to care for rural and agricultural communities.”
Related IHS services: Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Compliance Consulting · HITRUST Cybersecurity Certification Consulting for Healthcare Organizations
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals: Download Your Q2 FY 2026 PEPPER
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “CMS released the second quarter FY 2026 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for short-term acute care hospitals.”
Related IHS services: ACHC Acute Care Hospital Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 3, 2026 Federal Register titled "Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program".”
Related IHS services: CARF Comprehensive Integrated Inpatient Rehabilitation Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Medicare Advantage & Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “CMS announced significant premium savings for millions of Medicare beneficiaries in 2027, with weighted average Medicare Advantage (MA) premiums projected to fall more than 16% from 2026 to 2027, and average prescription drug premiums in MA projected to plummet 38%. Additionally, the average premium for stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans is projected to rise by less than $1 per month in 2027.”
Related IHS services: Medicare Advantage and Part D Compliance Program and FDR Oversight Consulting · URAC Medicare Advantage Organization Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This federal investment will expand provider capacity, modernize IT infrastructure, and strengthen the behavioral health care workforce across South Dakota. The Trump Administration announced that a $13 million investment is being delivered to create a same-day 24/7 mobile crisis response service for South Dakota residents in need of critical substance abuse and mental health services. This funding includes 12 modernization and infrastructure grants to providers participating in South Dakota's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic initiative and will give participating providers the resources needed to expand crisis services and build a stronger behavioral health care workforce.”
Related IHS services: ACHC Behavioral Health Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS issued transmittal R13976CP (Change Request 14557), "Update to Hospice Payment Rates, Hospice Cap, Hospice Wage Index and Hospice Pricer for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027", on September 30, 2026, with an implementation date of 2026-10-05.
Related IHS services: ACHC Hospice Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS issued transmittal R13972PI (Change Request 14627), "Updates to Chapter 6, Sections 6.2 of Publication (Pub) 100-08 - Program Integrity Manual (PIM) to Include Allowed Practitioners in the Home Health Manual Instruction", on September 30, 2026, with an implementation date of 2026-11-02.
Related IHS services: ACHC Home Health Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This document corrects technical errors in the final rule that appeared in the August 3, 2026 Federal Register titled "Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements".”
Related IHS services: ACHC Hospice Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Quarterly Update to Home Health (HH) Grouper (Transmittal R13974CP)
CMS issued transmittal R13974CP (Change Request 14631), "Quarterly Update to Home Health (HH) Grouper", on September 30, 2026, with an implementation date of 2027-01-04.
Related IHS services: ACHC Home Health Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS issued transmittal R13956CP (Change Request 14619), "October Quarterly Update for 2026 Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Fee Schedule", on September 29, 2026, with an implementation date of 2026-10-05.
Related IHS services: ACHC DMEPOS Accreditation Consulting · DMEPOS accreditation change management consulting · DMEPOS Supplier Accreditation Consulting · NABP DMEPOS Pharmacy Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS issued transmittal R13975CP (Change Request 14625), "Updates to Internet Only Manual (IOM) Publication (Pub.) 100-04 Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 9 -Rural Health Clinics/Federally Qualified Health Centers", on September 29, 2026, with an implementation date of 2026-10-05.
Related IHS services: Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Certification Readiness Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This document corrects technical and typographical errors in the final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on August 4, 2026 titled "Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; Other Policy Changes; and Adoption of Updated Versions of Certain Health Information Technology Standards."”
Related IHS services: ACHC Acute Care Hospital Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
South Carolina: $167M to Build Rural Care Sites, Upgrade Health Technology & Strengthen Prevention
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This federal investment will support telehealth, remote monitoring, mobile care, cybersecurity upgrades, and new technology to improve maternal and behavioral health care. The Trump Administration announced that a $167 million investment is being delivered to expand local access, modernize technology and infrastructure, improve prevention, and strengthen workforce capacity for South Carolinians through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. This investment will give residents more ways to access primary care, maternal and infant health, pediatrics, wellness, and behavioral health through new and modernized care locations, mobile units, telehealth, and other health care technologies, such as local 24-hour pharmacy kiosks.”
Related IHS services: ACHC Behavioral Health Accreditation Consulting · ACHC Telehealth Certification Consulting · HITRUST Cybersecurity Certification Consulting for Healthcare Organizations · URAC Telehealth Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “To stop payments above market rates for laboratory services in Medicare and save taxpayer dollars, CMS plans to better align the 2027 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CLFS) rates with private sector payment rates, saving an estimated $1 billion annually. While final rates won't be released until later this year, CMS is releasing the data and information used to determine the preliminary 2027 Medicare payment rates for laboratory services showing that Medicare has been paying about 16% more for laboratory services than private payors.”
Related IHS services: ACHC Clinical Laboratory Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
New Mexico: $74M to Expand Specialty, Maternal & Behavioral Health Care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services states: “This federal investment will establish regional hubs to bring more high-quality care closer to rural, frontier, and tribal communities. The Trump Administration announced that a $74 million investment is being delivered to improve access to health care for New Mexicans through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). This investment will support 6 Regional Hub Organizations lead Healthy Horizons, one part of New Mexico's 5-year RHTP strategy that supports better access to specialty, maternal, behavioral health, chronic disease, and other health care services in rural, frontier, and tribal communities.”
Related IHS services: ACHC Behavioral Health Accreditation Consulting
Checked
· Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CMS posted a revised version of policy memo QSO-20-04-Hospital-CAH DPU, "Electronic Form CMS-10455, Report of a Hospital Death Associated with Restraint or Seclusion", on September 21, 2026.
Related IHS services: ACHC Critical Access Hospital Accreditation Consulting
Checked
All accreditors, agencies and topics: Standards changes. Entries quote or report what the authorities published; they are not legal advice and do not interpret the changes.