Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; and Quality Reporting Programs; etc.

Federal Register

Jul 2, 2026

Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2027, including changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. Among other things, this rule also proposes updates related to the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; requests information regarding potential approaches to improve comparability and standardization of the HPT information reported in machine-readable files and consumer-friendly displays, particularly for complex contracting methodologies; and announces notices of closure of teaching hospitals and opportunities to apply for available slots. Comments are due by August 31, 2026.

Graduate medical education · Healthcare quality · Hospitals · Inpatient care · Legislation and regulations · Medicare · Outpatient care · Reimbursement and payment models · Surgery