Changes ahead: What the Calendar Year 2026 Medicare Part B Final Rule means for occupational therapy

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule on October 31, 2025, outlining updates to Medicare Part B payment that will impact occupational therapy (OT) service delivery beginning January 1, 2026. The final rule includes updates to telehealth services, incident-to supervision, remote therapeutic monitoring, code-level reimbursement, and more. During the proposed rule comment period this summer, thousands of comments were submitted by therapy practitioners, driven in part by AOTA’s grassroots call to action. These comments helped elevate OT’s voice and contributed to meaningful change in the finalized rule. This article provides a high-level overview of key provisions and their implications for OT practice and ongoing AOTA advocacy.