In addition to setting payment rates for inpatient and long-term care, Friday's proposed rule would update quality measures, promote interoperability programs and reduce private expenditures to comply with federal regulations.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it is seeking public input on Inpatient Hospital Whole-Person Care. It said it wants to advance Making America Healthy Again by reprioritizing patients' activity, nutrition and overall wellness.
The agency is requesting feedback on enhancing nutrition and physical activity to promote better wellness through quality measurement and other initiatives.
RFI to streamline regulations
CMS said that on Jan. 31, President Trump issued an executive order, "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation," to reduce the private expenditures required to comply with federal regulations.
To comply with the executive order, CMS is including in the proposed rule a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on approaches and opportunities to streamline regulations on those participating in the Medicare program.
CMS is proposing to modernize healthcare regulations by reducing duplications through technology and holding providers accountable for safety and outcomes.
The agency is seeking feedback on potential future quality measures and implementing Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR).
Quality measures
For the 2026 proposed rule, CMS is requesting comment regarding measure concepts under consideration, modifying four current quality measures and proposing to remove four quality measures.
The four measures CMS is proposing to remove are as follows: Hospital Commitment to Health Equity; COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage among Health Care Personnel measure; the Screening for Social Drivers of Health measure; and Screen Positive Rate for Social Drivers of Health measure.
CMS is also proposing an update to the current Extraordinary Circumstances Exception (ECE) policy to clarify that it has the discretion to grant an extension rather than only a full exception.
Ashley Thompson, senior vice president, Public Policy Analysis and Development of the American Hospital Association, explained, "America's hospitals and health systems spend too many resources each year on regulatory requirements, forcing many of our clinicians to focus more time completing paperwork than treating patients. The AHA appreciates the administration's request for information on approaches and opportunities to streamline regulations and reduce burdens in the Medicare program."
Thompson added, "We particularly welcome the agency's emphasis on ways to streamline and focus quality measurement efforts, including by proposing to eliminate the outdated reporting related to staff vaccination rates. We look forward to sharing our ideas and working closely with CMS to further cut down on excessive administrative red tape."
TEAM
CMS is also proposing modifications to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM).
The TEAM proposals capture quality measure performance in the outpatient setting without increasing participant burden, improve target price construction and expand the three-day Skilled Nursing Facility Rule waiver, giving patients a wider choice of and access to post-acute care, CMS said.
In TEAM, selected acute care hospitals would coordinate care for patients with original Medicare who are undergoing one of five surgical procedures. The five-year mandatory episode-based payment model would run from Jan. 1, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2030.
Selected acute care hospitals would take responsibility for the cost and quality of care from a hospital-based surgery through the first 30 days after the patient's surgery.
"Additionally, we appreciate that CMS continues to gather stakeholder feedback and make modifications to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM)," Thompson said. "The AHA has long supported the adoption of value-based and alternative payment models to deliver high-quality care at lower costs; however, we are concerned that TEAM, even with the proposed changes, may force some hospitals to assume more risk than they can manage, threatening their ability to maintain access to quality care. Thus, we continue to urge the agency to make TEAM voluntary."
Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org