This final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), issued on November 5 finalized payment updates and policy changes to Medicare’s physician fee schedule.
CMS is permanently adopting the definition of direct supervision that allows the physician or supervising practitioner to provide supervision through real-time audio and visual interactive telecommunications (excluding audio-only), creating an optional add-on code for Advanced Primary Care Management (ACPM) services that would provide behavioral health integration or psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services, modifications to the way that CMS will pay for skin substitutes, a negative 2.5% adjustment to certain non-time-based Relative Value Units (RVUs), and a new mandatory alternative payment model, the Ambulatory Specialty Model. The rule becomes effective on January 1, 2026.
Click here for more more information: CMS Final Rule: Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments for Calendar Year 2026.