If you bill Medicare for durable medical equipment, 2026 has brought more regulatory change than any year in recent memory. CMS has moved from triennial to annual accreditation surveys, expanded the prior authorization list with seven new HCPCS codes, added eight oxygen codes to the face-to-face encounter requirements, and implemented fee schedule adjustments that vary by geographic area and competitive bidding history. On top of all that, the competitive bidding program itself remains in a gap period — Round 2021 contracts have expired, and CMS has confirmed that the next round won't launch until January 1, 2028 at the earliest.
For DME suppliers juggling enrollment, accreditation, documentation, and billing compliance, the cost of getting any one of these wrong ranges from claim denials to civil monetary penalties to outright revocation of billing privileges. This guide walks through the major 2026 DMEPOS changes and what your billing operation needs to do about them.