Traditional MedicareAdministrativeMedium impact
2026-02-12 - Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals: Staff End Users Can Now Access PEPPERs
Medicare/CMS·FL, KY, LA, NV, NJ, ND, OH, OR, RI · Ophthalmology, Optometry·Payment
Effective date
Mar 1, 2026
We identified it
Feb 12, 2026
Summary
CMS has made several updates including allowing hospital staff to access PEPPER reports, transitioning CLIA certificates to electronic-only format after March 1, 2026, and clarifying billing requirements for global surgery reporting and optometry services at nursing facilities.
Action Required
By March 1, 2026: Laboratories must switch to electronic CLIA fee coupons and certificates by emailing their state agency or contacting their Accreditation Organization. Stop accepting paper versions and transition to online fee payments only. For practices with 10+ practitioners in FL, KY, LA, NV, NJ, ND, OH, OR, or RI: ensure accurate reporting of postoperative visits for global surgery codes. Review optometry billing at nursing facilities to ensure E/M services meet Medicare complexity requirements.