2026 IPPS Updates: What Ophthalmology Practices Need to Know
As of October 1, 2025, CMS has enforced the FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) updates — bringing some of the most significant changes to reporting, documentation, and reimbursement rules in recent years. While IPPS is designed primarily for hospitals, its impact reaches outpatient and specialty environments — including ophthalmology practices and ASCs — because the same standards shape compliance, coding precision, and quality reporting benchmarks that feed into MIPS and related programs. For ophthalmology leaders, this isn’t just administrative news. It’s a chance to strengthen operational precision, minimize missed reimbursements, and ensure every documented procedure aligns with the latest compliance framework. Key Policy Updates for FY 2026 Each year, CMS revises IPPS policies to fine-tune how hospitals — and by extension, specialists who bill through hospital-based systems — are reimbursed. The FY 2026 Final Rule focuses on data accu...