CMS Final Rule - 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System
Published: 11/26/2025
Sources:
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Relevant To:
- Ambulatory Surgical Centers,
- Critical Access Hospitals,
- Hospitals
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the CY 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulaotry Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System final rule with comment period. The rule includes a 2.5% increase in OPPS payment rates and a 2.6% factor to the ASC rates as well as several policy updates and changes with direct operational impacts.
Key provisions include:
- Proposed new quality reporting timelines, including the adoption of the Emer…