CMS releases FY 2025 SNF PEPPER reports
Sep 20, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0118 · Published 2026-09-20 · Version 2 · Final
CMS released FY 2025 SNF PEPPER reports and explained the identity and organization approvals needed to download them.
What happened
The September 17 MLN Connects newsletter released fiscal-year 2025 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports for skilled nursing facilities. CMS describes PEPPER as a way to review billing accuracy, spot patterns needing investigation, identify areas for monitoring or internal audit, examine possible undercoding or overcoding and track trends such as longer stays. The report is an analytical starting point for the facility’s own review. A flagged pattern alone does not establish an improper claim, repayment amount or enforcement finding.
CMS directs authorized officials, access managers and approved staff end users to obtain their organization’s report through the PEPPER Portal. A staff user signs into CMS Identity and Access with existing NPPES or PECOS credentials, requests the organization’s PEPPER business function, and needs approval from the organization’s authorized official or access manager. The Comparative Billing Report function can be requested at the same time. Facilities can route access and review work through those controls, then assess the underlying records before deciding whether an outlier reflects clinical mix, coding or a problem requiring correction.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Operationally relevant
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- Federal
- Affected functions
- Revenue Cycle, Compliance, Coding, Clinical Operations
- Responsible owner
- Revenue Cycle
Why it matters
Facility-specific review can identify claims needing attention, while identity and organization approvals protect access to the report.
Recommended action
Confirm authorized portal access, route the FY 2025 report to compliance and revenue cycle, prioritize meaningful outliers and document record-based conclusions and any corrective action.
Sources
- MLN Connects Newsletter, September 17, 2026Official · Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services · 2026-09-17 · Source review 2026-09-20
Complete edition and supplemental material
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