The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the introduction of a -2.5% efficiency adjustment that applies to work Relative Value Units (RVUs) and the intraservice portion of physician time of non-timed-based services as part of the final 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). CMS’s reasoning for this policy is that the time-based assumptions in these services have likely been overvalued due to efficiencies accruing over time, resulting from technological advancements and clinicians gaining experience with these procedures.






























