On October 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. This final rule does have regulatory and reimbursement implications for outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy provided in all outpatient therapy settings. Does this final rule have tricks, treats, or both for outpatient therapy services. In this article, I will inform you of what CMS is finalizing on the following topics:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2026 Contract Year Medicare Advantage final rule. To access the Fact Sheet on the final rule, click HERE. To access the complete final rule, click HERE.

On July 31, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) final rule. Highlights of the final rule include the following: Click HERE to access the Fact Sheet on the IRF Final Rule. Click HERE for the complete final rule.

On November 2, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule. This final rule does have regulatory and reimbursement implications for outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy provided in all outpatient therapy settings in calendar year 2024. In this article, I will inform you of what CMS finalized on the following topics:

On July 27, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) final rule. To access the final rule, click HERE. To access the Fact Sheet on the FY 2024 final rule, click HERE.

On July 31, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) final rule. To access the final rule, click HERE. To access the CMS Fact Sheet on this final rule, click HERE.

On December 1, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for services paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). This would include outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services provided in all outpatient therapy settings except for a critical access hospital. Highlights of the final rule include, but are not limited to, the following: 2021 Medicare Conversion Factor and 9% Payment Reduction Accessing the 2021 Relative Value Units (RVU’s) for Each CPT Code 2021 Annual Therapy Threshold Dollar Amount Student Documentation in the Medical Record Maintenance Therapy Provided by PTA’s and OTA’s Communication-Based

On August 4, 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Final Rule for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs). Highlights of the final rule include: Permanent elimination of the post-admission physician evaluation effective October 1, 2020 CMS is finalizing that a non-physician practitioner (NPP) may perform one of the three required visits in lieu of the physician in the second and later weeks of a patient’s care, when consistent with the NPP’s state scope of practice Overall IRF payment update for FY 2021 of 2.8% To access the Final Rule, click HERE. To access