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 final rule updates the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2027. As required by statute, this final rule includes the classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's (PPS) case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2027. It also finalizes the third and final of the 3-year phaseout of the rural adjustment, which began in FY 2025. This final rule includes a solicitation for public comments on alternative data sources for the IRF PPS wage index; requires all therapy treatments and/or therapy evaluations to begin no later than 36 hours from midnight on the day of admission; finalizes requirements for the initial Interdisciplinary Team meeting to occur on or before 4 days from the date the patient is admitted; and summarizes a request for information on potential future IRF PPS payment reform. Additionally, this final rule includes updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program and changes to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.

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:

42 CFR 412, 42 CFR 414

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

1 earlier Federal Register document under regulation identifier 0938-AV76 since Jan. 1, 2025.

• April 6, 2026 Proposed rule. Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program

Since then:

• 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

These regulations are effective on October 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