Story perspectives

CMS Removes 285 Procedures, Shifts Surgeries to Outpatient Care

11/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to remove 285 inpatient-only procedures, enabling more surgeries in outpatient settings.
The rule aims to enhance flexibility and reduce costs for beneficiaries.
Critics worry the shift could limit skilled nursing facility access, since outpatient procedures do not require a three-day hospital stay.
Hospital groups criticize site-neutral payment policies, saying they threaten care quality and financial stability for complex patients.

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Story summary

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to remove 285 inpatient-only procedures, enabling more surgeries in outpatient settings.
The rule aims to enhance flexibility and reduce costs for beneficiaries.
Critics worry the shift could limit skilled nursing facility access, since outpatient procedures do not require a three-day hospital stay.
Hospital groups criticize site-neutral payment policies, saying they threaten care quality and financial stability for complex patients.