Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program

What it does

This proposed rule would update the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2027. As required by statute, this proposed rule includes the classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2027. It also continues the third year of the 3-year phaseout of the rural adjustment, which began in FY 2025. This proposed rule includes a solicitation for public comments on alternative data sources for the IRF PPS wage index; proposes to require all therapy treatments or therapy evaluations to begin within 36-hours from midnight on the day of admission; proposes to require a patient's current functional status be documented on the preadmission screening; proposes requirements for the initial Interdisciplinary Team meeting; and includes a request for information on potential future IRF PPS payment reform. Additionally, the proposed rule includes updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Furthermore, the proposed rule includes changes to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Competitive Bidding Program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What it would change

2 parts of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

42 CFR 412, 42 CFR 414

Before this

No earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0938-AV76 since Jan. 1, 2025.

Since then:

• Aug. 3, 2026 Final rule. Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program
• Oct. 1, 2026 Final rule; correction. Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program; Correction

What happens next and when

To be assured consideration, comments must be received at one of the addresses provided below by June 1, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Docket CMS-2026-1024 on Regulations.gov
• Title 42 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register