Medicare Program; Contract Year 2027 and Certain Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, and Medicare Cost Plan Program
Built by the Tribune's code from the Federal Register. No AI wrote this page. Published in the Federal Register April 6, 2026. Document 2026-06600. Updated Nov. 13, 2026.
- What it does
This final rule revises the Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), and Medicare cost plan regulations to implement changes related to Star Ratings, marketing and communications, drug coverage, enrollment processes, special needs plans, and other programmatic areas.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services's summary, as published in the Federal Register.
- What changed in the regulation
2 parts of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations:
Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).
- Compared with
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published 24 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 12 in all of 2025.
Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.
- Before this
4 earlier Federal Register documents under regulation identifier 0938-AV40, 0938-AV63 since Jan. 1, 2025.
- Nov. 28, 2025 Proposed rule. Medicare Program; Contract Year 2027 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, and Medicare Cost Plan Program
- Sept. 19, 2025 Final rule. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)-Finalization of Format Provider Directories for Medicare Plan Finder
- May 29, 2025 Final rule; correction. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- April 15, 2025 Final rule. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
- What happens next and when
Effective date: These regulations are effective June 1, 2026.
The agency's dates, word for word.
The record as published
| Document number | 2026-06600 |
|---|---|
| Action | Final rule. |
| Agencies | Health and Human Services Department; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
| Published | April 6, 2026 |
| Effective date | June 1, 2026 |
| Regulation identifier (RIN) | 0938-AV40, 0938-AV63 |
| Docket | CMS-2025-1393 |
| Significant (marked in the Federal Register) | Yes |
Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register