2026 fee schedule: CF gets a boost, RVUs take a hit

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps readers understand how 2026 Medicare payment methodology changes may shift reimbursement by site of service and by service category. It is useful for practices that need to anticipate budget, coding, and payment impacts from CMS fee schedule updates.

Article Sections

1. Overview of 2026 Medicare fee schedule changes

   Introduces the major changes finalized for 2026 and frames their impact on physician reimbursement. Summarizes the broad policy areas addressed in the rule.

2. Non-facility setting favored in practice expense RVU revamp

   Explains the site-of-service changes affecting practice expense RVUs and contrasts facility and non-facility payment patterns. Describes the broader rationale CMS gives for revising indirect practice expense methodology.

3. Where to find the expected impact

   Discusses how CMS presents the estimated impact of the practice expense changes and illustrates the effect on payment for a selected service. Focuses on how specialty and setting differences may show up in the final fee schedule.

4. A 2.5% cut to work RVUs will ding thousands of services, procedures

   Covers the efficiency adjustment applied to a large set of services and the associated work RVU revisions. Notes the scope of the change and the kinds of services affected.

5. New and time-based codes exempted

   Summarizes the exclusions CMS applies to the efficiency adjustment and identifies categories of services left out of the change. Also addresses the timing of future revisions.