Last mentioned: 2d ago
Enforcement Begins
Medicare payments will be withheld from off-campus HOPDs that lack a unique NPI and valid attestation.
Initial Filing Deadline
Final day for hospitals to submit initial attestations for all existing off-campus departments.
CMS Rulemaking
CMS expected to establish the formal process and portal for NPI and attestation submissions.
Legislation Enacted
President signs the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 into law.
A landmark regulatory shift now permits Medicaid to share recipient data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), marking a total reversal of previous privacy protections. The move has triggered immediate concerns regarding patient confidentiality and a potential exodus of eligible immigrants from the public health system.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 mandates that all off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) obtain unique National Provider Identifiers and submit formal provider-based attestations. This regulatory shift ends the long-standing voluntary compliance system and sets a hard enforcement deadline of January 1, 2028.