2026 Inpatient & SNF PPS Final Rules: What Healthcare Finance and Compliance Teams Need to Understand Now

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS) policies, introducing updates that will affect hospital and post-acute care reimbursement, quality programs, reporting requirements, and operational priorities beginning October 1, 2025.

This concise session highlights the key provisions of these final rules, helping revenue cycle experts, compliance professionals, coders, and operational leaders understand the current Medicare payment landscape and areas to evaluate for internal planning and readiness.

Webinar Highlights:

1. Final Rule Context & Timing

CMS issued the final IPPS and SNF PPS rules for FY 2026 — with payment and policy changes that take effect beginning October 1, 2025.

2. Payment Policy Updates

The final rules include revisions to base payment rates, relative weights, and other fiscal parameters that influence facility reimbursement under IPPS and SNF PPS. PYA

3. Quality & Value-Based Programs

Updates to value-based purchasing, readmissions measures, and quality reporting programs remain part of the landscape — and organizations will want to understand how these changes intersect with performance and reporting.

4. Reporting & Documentation Considerations

The final rules touch on reporting requirements related to electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), social determinants of health (SDOH) data, and other documentation factors that may affect compliance workflows.

5. Operational & Strategic Awareness

While not prescribing specific actions, knowing the finalized provisions allows finance, coding, compliance, and administrative teams to assess internal processes and identify areas for staff education and operational readiness ahead of the new fiscal year.

This webinar benefits the following agencies:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Physician practices
• Compliance teams
• Coders
• Auditors
• Third-party vendors
• Home Health Agencies
• RCM teams

Who should attend:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Physician practices
• Compliance teams
• Coders
• Auditors