Medicare Program; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Prospective Payment System for Federal Fiscal Year 2027 and Updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program

Document 2026-06642 is a Proposed Rule published by the Department of Health and Human Services in the Federal Register on April 6, 2026. This proposed rule would update the prospective payment rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2027. As required by statute, this proposed rule includes the classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups and a description of the methodologies and data used in computing the prospective payment rates for FY 2027. It also continues the third year of the 3-year phaseout of the rural adjustment, which began in FY 2025. This proposed rule includes a solicitation for public comments on alternative data sources for the IRF PPS wage index; proposes to require all therapy treatments or therapy evaluations to begin within 36-hours from midnight on the day of admission; proposes to require a patient's current functional status be documented on the preadmission screening; proposes requirements for the initial Interdisciplinary Team meeting; and includes a request for information on potential future IRF PPS payment reform. Additionally, the proposed rule includes updates to the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Furthermore, the proposed rule includes changes to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Competitive Bidding Program. View the original at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/06/2026-06642/medicare-program-inpatient-rehabilitation-facility-prospective-payment-system-for-federal-fiscal.

No. Document 2026-06642 is not classified as economically significant under Executive Order 12866. Economically significant rules require OIRA review and are estimated to have impacts of $100 million or more per year.