07/16/2026

CMS Outpatient Proposal Could Limit Access to Medicare-Covered Skilled Nursing Care

CMS proposes removing 638 additional procedures from the inpatient-only list in 2027, allowing more surgeries to be performed in outpatient settings. For people with traditional Medicare, an outpatient procedure would not count toward the three-day inpatient hospital stay generally required for Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility care, potentially leaving some without affordable post-acute services. Providers should prepare for continued changes in hospital discharge patterns and review LeadingAge’s analysis of the proposal.