Historical briefing for January 1, 2026. Compiled October 13, 2026 from the dated sources below. This is a retrospective record, not a bulletin published that week.

2026 Medicare payment rule begins

2026-01-01 · Medicare Part B · Final rule effective

CMS’s CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule rule took effect on or after January 1. It was published in 2025, so this is an implementation milestone rather than a January announcement.

Practice or reimbursement impact: Use the 2026 code and payment files for 2026 services; do not mix them with proposed 2027 rates.

Date context: The original source date is retained; check later guidance before applying a historical rule.

Official source or newsletter archive