Medicare Fixes Skin Payment Glitches in Boring Update
Published Date: 11/28/2025
Rule
Summary
This document fixes some technical mistakes in the Medicare payment rules for 2026, especially about payments for skin substitutes. It affects doctors, Medicare patients, and providers by clarifying how certain payments work starting November 28, 2025. No big changes in money, just important corrections to keep things running smoothly.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Confirmed skin substitute payment rate
CMS corrected the published payment amounts for skin substitutes and confirms the CY 2026 final payment rate is $127.14 per square centimeter ($127.14/cm2). The document also corrects other numeric references (for example, $125/cm2 and $125.38/cm2) and these corrections take effect November 28, 2025.
Technical fixes; no policy change
CMS states these are technical and typographical corrections to the CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule discussion about skin substitutes and that they do not change substantive policies or payment methodologies. The corrections are effective November 28, 2025 and are intended to align the Federal Register text with policies previously proposed, commented on, and finalized.
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