CMS schedules HCPCS meeting
CMS announced its first biannual 2026 public meeting to consider revisions to HCPCS Level II coding, which could affect Medicare benefit categories and payment decisions for new items and services. The meeting is positioned as the preliminary step for coding and potential payment determinations. (federalregister.gov)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services set a June 1 public meeting that starts the next round of Medicare coding decisions for new medical supplies, equipment and services. (federalregister.gov) The session covers Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Level II requests for non-drug and non-biological items and services, the billing codes Medicare uses for products such as durable medical equipment, prosthetics and supplies. CMS said it will discuss preliminary coding, benefit-category and payment determinations, when applicable. (cms.gov) (federalregister.gov) CMS scheduled the primary meeting for Monday, June 1, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at its headquarters in Baltimore, with a virtual-only overflow session on June 2 if needed. People who want to speak or attend in person must register by 5 p.m. on May 18, and written comments are due by 5 p.m. on June 3. (govinfo.gov) A code decision can determine whether a product has a standard billing pathway in Medicare, and the same review can also shape which Medicare benefit category CMS places it in and how payment is set. CMS told applicants and other participants that the meeting is for feedback on preliminary decisions, not for final rulings. (cms.gov) Congress required a public process for coding and payment determinations for new durable medical equipment in the Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. CMS later expanded its procedures, and a 2021 final rule set formal steps for benefit-category and payment determinations for items billed under Medicare Part B, including durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, therapeutic shoes, surgical dressings and splints. (federalregister.gov) (govinfo.gov) CMS now runs biannual public meetings for non-drug and non-biological products, with application deadlines on the first business day of January and July. The agency’s coding decisions page shows separate preliminary and final decision files for each recent year, including 2025 and 2024, after the meetings conclude. (cms.gov 1) (cms.gov 2) The June meeting is a hybrid event, unlike the second biannual 2025 meeting, which CMS held virtually on December 17, 2025, with December 18 reserved as an overflow date. For manufacturers, suppliers and billing teams, the next marker after June is CMS’s final coding and payment decisions, which the agency posts after it reviews the meeting record and written comments. (federalregister.gov) (cms.gov)
