2026 MPFS Final Rule Increases Physician Payments

On October 31, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its finalized Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2026, which “advances primary care management through improved quality measures, reduces waste and unnecessary use of skin substitutes, and introduces a new payment model focused on improving care for chronic disease management.” This Health Capital Topics article discusses the provisions contained in the MPFS final rule, as well as stakeholder reactions. (Read more...)

Federal Government Reopens After Record-Long Shutdown

On November 12, 2025, lawmakers passed a bill to temporarily fund the federal government, ending a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The spending bill only funds the entire government through January 30, 2026, raising the prospect of another shutdown fight. This Health Capital Topics article provides an update on the ongoing saga. (Read more...)

2026 Healthcare Cost Increases: A Perfect Storm of Rising Expenses

Healthcare organizations entering 2026 face an unprecedented convergence of cost pressures across virtually every segment of the insurance market. From employer-sponsored plans to individual marketplace coverage, the healthcare financial landscape is shifting in ways that will fundamentally reshape strategic planning and operational budgeting for the foreseeable future. This Health Capital Topics article discusses the projected healthcare cost increases for 2026 and implications for healthcare organizations navigating this challenging environment. (Read more...) 

Valuation of Care Coordination Services: Reimbursement Environment

The provision of care coordination services has increased in recent years as payors have begun reimbursing these types of services, through a combination of fee-for-service, bundled payments, and value-based care models. This fourth installment in a five-part series on the valuation of care coordination services reviews the reimbursement environment in which care coordination services are provided. (Read more...) 

NEW ARTICLE!

HCC's Jessica Bailey-Wheaton and Hannah Newman of Hancock Daniel were recently published in the American Bar Association's The Health Lawyer. Their article entitled “External Expertise in Physician Compensation: A Smart Investment” explores why partnering with independent valuation and compensation specialists is no longer optional for many organizations. From navigating FMV and commercial reasonableness standards to structuring performance-driven, value-aligned models, external advisors bring objectivity, rigor, and proven experience to an increasingly high-stakes environment.



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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

2026 Proposed Physician Fee Schedule authored by HCC's Todd A. Zigrang, MBA, MHA, FACHE, CVA, ASA, ABV, and Jessica Bailey-Wheaton, Esq., was published in the recent issue of QuckRead published by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).

For more recently published material written by HCC, please visit www.healthcapital.com

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