Ensuring accuracy and stability in kidney care payment

Section 1881(b)(14)(F)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395rr(b)(14)(F)(i)) is amended— (1) in subclause (I), by striking subclauses (II) and (III) and inserting subclauses (II), (III), and (IV); (2) in subclause (II), by inserting and after application of subclause (IV) after subclause (I); and (3) by adding at the end the following new subclause: (IV) Beginning with 2026, the Secretary shall compute an adjustment to the increase factor described in subclause (I) for the annual update of the payment amounts established under this paragraph for the previous year to account for forecast error (referred to in this subclause as the forecast error adjustment). The initial adjustment (in 2026) to the increase factor shall take into account the cumulative forecast error for 2021 and 2022. Subsequent adjustments in succeeding years shall take into account the forecast error from the most recently available year for which there is final data. The forecast error adjustment under this subclause shall apply whenever the difference between the forecasted and actual percentage change in the prices of an appropriate mix of goods and services included in renal dialysis services exceeds 0.5 percentage points..