AHA expresses support, concerns with FY 2026 IRF proposed rule

The AHA June 10 commented to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on its fiscal year 2026 proposed rule for the inpatient rehabilitation facility prospective payment system, voicing support for provisions in the rule that include the removal of some quality reporting program measures. The AHA also shared concerns with the rule, such as inadequate market basket updates. CMS proposed to increase payments by 2.6% overall, including a 3.4% market basket update reduced by a 0.8 percentage point productivity adjustment. The agency also proposed a slight decrease in the outlier threshold, from $12,043 to $11,971.