August 3, 2026- On July 31, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized an increase for base inpatient hospital payments for fiscal year 2027, setting a 2.3% payment increase for acute care and long-term care hospitals, per Fierce Healthcare. CMS also delayed the launch of the CJR-X Model, the first mandatory nationwide test of an episode-based payment model. The final Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rate update is 2.3%, reflecting a 3.2% market basket increase minus a 0.9 percentage point productivity adjustment.