ASC Daily Briefing — June 26, 2026

By consulting | June 26, 2026 |

🔴 Urgent / Action Required

AAAHC v45 Standards Public Comment Period Opening Soon — AAAHC has announced that the public comment period for v45 Standards will open shortly. v45 introduces AI governance requirements (ensuring organizations have core governance in place before AI is embedded in patient care), removes burdensome requirements, improves terminology clarity, and resolves common survey pain points. Watch the AAAHC website for the comment window — stakeholder input directly shapes final standards. Source: AAAHC v45 Educational Programs Announcement

CY 2027 OPPS/ASC Proposed Rule Expected ~July 2026 — CMS typically releases the annual OPPS/ASC Proposed Rule in mid-July. Watch the Federal Register for the CMS-1835-P release. This will set the stage for 2027 payment rates, quality measures, and further IPO list phase-out steps. A drug acquisition cost survey (conducted Jan–Mar 2026) will inform drug payment proposals in this rule. Source: Federal Register — CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule

📋 Regulatory Updates

CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule — In Effect — CMS finalized a 2.6% ASC payment rate increase for CY 2026 (market basket 3.3% minus 0.7% productivity adjustment). ASCs not meeting ASCQR quality reporting requirements face a 2-percentage-point payment reduction. The COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage measure now counts toward the CY 2026 payment determination. Source: CMS CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule Fact Sheet

ASC Covered Procedures List Expanded by 560 Procedures — CMS removed five regulatory exclusion criteria from the CPL, shifting clinical judgment to physicians on a case-by-case basis. This adds 560 surgical procedures and 35 ancillary services — including 271 codes removed from the Inpatient-Only (IPO) list for CY 2026. This is Year 1 of a 3-year full IPO list elimination (complete by Jan 1, 2028). Review your procedure mix for new CPL-eligible cases. Source: McDermott+ CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule Summary

Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement — CMS finalized disclosure requirements for median, 10th, and 90th percentile allowed amounts effective January 1, 2026, with enforcement beginning April 1, 2026. Ensure your facility’s pricing transparency disclosures are fully compliant. Source: CMS Price Transparency Fact Sheet

OIG Advisory Opinion 26-04 — OIG issued a favorable opinion on an ASC sole shareholder transferring ownership interests in anticipation of retirement from medical practice. Relevant if your facility is planning ownership transitions — structure matters for Anti-Kickback compliance. Source: OIG What’s New

OIG Advisory Opinion 26-03 — OIG issued a favorable opinion on a medical technology manufacturer offering ASCs discounts on intraocular lenses and surgical supplies for cataract surgery, contingent on affiliated physician practices purchasing its software product. A notable precedent for vendor arrangement structuring — tying discounts to software purchases can be permissible under certain conditions. Source: OIG What’s New

AAAHC Rural Health Clinic Accreditation — Federal Register Notice (March 2026) — CMS published a Federal Register notice regarding AAAHC’s application for continued CMS-approval of its Rural Health Clinic (RHC) accreditation program. No ASC-direct impact, but reflects ongoing CMS oversight of accreditor deemed authority. Source: Federal Register — AAAHC RHC Application

🏅 Accreditation News

AAAHC v44 Standards — First Full Survey Year in 2026 — v44 is now fully effective and 2026 is the first complete survey year under these standards. Key focus areas: expanded data collection and outcomes tracking, greater alignment with state scope-of-practice rules, and integration of survey outcomes with Quality Roadmap reports. If your survey is scheduled this year, ensure your QI program reflects v44 data requirements. Source: OR Today — Accreditation in 2026

AAAHC v45 Standards — AI Governance Coming — AAAHC’s v45 Standards (in development) will introduce formal AI governance requirements for accredited organizations. The goal is to ensure facilities have core AI oversight structures before AI becomes embedded in patient care workflows. Educational programs covering v45 are running throughout 2026. Source: AAAHC v45 Educational Programs

Joint Commission — Streamlined Standards for 2026 — TJC has reduced its total standards by approximately 50%, combining the Environment of Care (EC) and Life Safety (LS) chapters into a single Physical Environment chapter. The focus shifts toward performance outcomes rather than documentation volume. If you are TJC-accredited, review your EC/LS binders for alignment with the new Physical Environment structure. Source: OR Today — Accreditation in 2026

QUAD A — No major standards change announcements identified in today’s search. QUAD A remains the preferred option for office-based and procedural practices emphasizing surgeon credentialing and safety transparency. Source: QUAD A Medicare Programs

📰 Industry News

New Products Qualify for Separate ASC Payment — For CY 2026, CMS approved 5 new drugs and 13 new devices for separate payment under the ASC payment system. CMS also shifted to quarterly evaluation of new product eligibility (previously annual), with payments applied retroactively to the eligibility date. Check quarterly CMS updates for newly eligible products. Source: CMS CY 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule Fact Sheet

Extraordinary Circumstances Exception — Codified — CMS formally codified the ECE policy for ASCs, allowing relief from quality reporting requirements when data collection is disrupted by qualifying events. Note: the window to submit an ECE request was reduced from 90 days to 60 days. Update your ASCQR compliance calendar accordingly. Source: hiacode.com — Medicare Updates for ASCs 2026

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