Health Policy Affairs

SIR summary: Hospital Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule for 2027

On July 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the proposed rule for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) for calendar year (CY) 2027.

PAD Coalition cheers inclusion of screening language in appropriations bills

SIR joined the PAD Coalition in thanking the House Appropriations Committee for including report language on peripheral artery disease education, screening and amputation prevention in the FY 2027 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations report.

SIR supports bill to keep prior authorization out of Medicare Advantage

The Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act reached 290 House cosponsors, allowing a motion to place the bipartisan Medicare Advantage prior authorization reform bill on the House consensus calendar for a floor vote.

CMS releases new ICD-10-CM codes

CMS released the 2027 ICD-10-CM diagnosis code files, including 190 new, 30 deleted and 4 revised codes that will apply to patient encounters beginning Oct. 1, 2026.

New CPT® adviser appointments for SIR

Julie C. Bulman, MD, and Alexandra Fairchild, MD, FSIR, were appointed to the AMA CPT® Advisory Committee, where they will represent interventional radiology and help shape the CPT® code development process.

House committee votes to nix WISeR Model

The House Appropriations Committee approved a proposal to defund CMS' WISeR prior authorization model and prohibit prior authorization in traditional Medicare following widespread concerns that the pilot delayed patient care and hindered access to medically necessary services.