Medicare Rule Correction Sends Commenters to the Right Docket

2026-22812, Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Cutting Administrative Requirements for Excellence in Patient Care

CMS is proposing to cut outdated and tricky rules in Medicare and Medicaid to help doctors and nurses spend more time caring for patients instead of paperwork. These changes aim to save money, boost flexibility, and make healthcare better and easier to manage. Comments on this plan are open until January 11, 2027, so everyone affected can share their thoughts!

2026-22750, Calendar Year 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update; Requirements for the HH Quality Reporting Program and the Expanded HH Value-Based Purchasing Model; Medicare Provider Enrollment, Durable Medical Equipment (DME), and DME, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Policies

Starting in 2027, Medicare is updating how it pays home health agencies, including new payment rates and rules to make care better and fairer. Home health providers, equipment suppliers, and Medicare enrollees will see changes in payment methods, quality reporting, and equipment rules, with some new deadlines and expanded benefits. These updates aim to improve care quality while keeping payments clear and fair.

2026-22792, Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program

Starting in 2029, Medicare will negotiate drug prices to help lower costs for people using Medicare Part D. This new rule, effective December 5, 2026, sets clear policies to make prescription drugs more affordable and fair. If you or a loved one uses Medicare for prescriptions, expect some savings and changes in how drug prices are set.

2026-22743, Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2027 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program

Starting January 1, 2027, Medicare and Medicaid are updating how doctors and clinics get paid to better match real medical work and new laws. This includes new rules for drug price rebates, sharing savings programs, and payment updates for rural clinics and ambulance services. These changes affect doctors, patients, and healthcare providers, aiming to keep care fair, affordable, and up-to-date.

2026-22739, Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; and Quality Reporting Programs; including the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Program; Request for Information on Strengthening the Standardization and Comparability of Hospital Price Transparency (HPT) Data; Prior Authorization; Accrediting Organization (AO) Deeming for Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA); and Notices of Closure of Teaching Hospitals and Opportunities To Apply for Available Slots

Starting in 2027, Medicare is updating how hospitals and surgery centers get paid for outpatient care and surgeries. These changes affect hospitals, surgery centers, and patients by adjusting payment rates and improving quality reporting. Plus, CMS is asking for ideas to make hospital price info clearer and easier to compare, while also handling rules about emergency care and teaching hospital closures.

2026-22381, Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions for Coverage: Revisions to the Conditions for Coverage

This new rule updates how Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) operate to help get more life-saving organs to people who need transplants. It changes some definitions, competition rules, and appeal processes to make OPOs work better and be held accountable. These changes start January 4, 2027, and aim to save more lives without adding extra costs.

Previous: 2026-22784, Conditional Expected Casualty Exception for Failures Resulting in an Uncontrolled Atmospheric Return

The FAA is proposing a new rule to make it easier for commercial space companies to get launch and reentry licenses. They want to allow operators to prove their vehicles will break up safely during an uncontrolled fall from the sky, reducing the chance of multiple injuries. This change aims to speed up approvals and lower costs, with public comments open until December 9, 2026.

Next: 2026-22809, Threshold for the Requirement To Collect, Retain, and Transmit Information on Funds Transfers and Transmittals of Funds That Begin or End Outside the United States, and Clarification of the Requirement To Collect, Retain, and Transmit Information on Transactions Involving Convertible Virtual Currencies and Digital Assets With Legal Tender Status; Withdrawal

FinCEN and the Federal Reserve are officially dropping their 2020 plan to lower the money transfer reporting threshold from $3,000 to $250 for transfers involving the U.S. This means banks won’t have to collect extra info on smaller international transfers or certain digital currency transactions. The withdrawal takes effect November 9, 2026, so no new rules or costs will hit financial institutions anytime soon.