CMS Receives New Authority To Exclude Provider Organizations From Federal Health Care Programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) gained new authority to exclude certain provider organizations and suppliers from federal health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, effective October 14, 2026. Previously, these decisions were handled by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. granted the authority to CMS.

The new arrangement is intended to reduce duplication between agencies by allowing CMS to handle both investigations and certain exclusion decisions. The OIG retains its existing authority to exclude providers.

The new authority allows CMS to make certain exclusion . . .