ARTICLE SUMMARY:
New Technology Add-on Payments awarded to devices hit another record high for FY 2026, reflecting the growing popularity of a hospital inpatient program that CMS has streamlined in recent years.
The number of new devices qualifying for extra reimbursement to support early-stage adoption by hospitals has mushroomed over the past several years.
For fiscal year 2026, beginning October 1, CMS has awarded New Technology Add-on Payments (NTAPs) to a record 20 devices, including cardiovascular and orthopedic implants, IVDs, and other advanced technologies, in a rule finalized August 4. (See table, “NTAPs: Device Class of FY 2026.”) This is by far the highest annual haul of device bonus payments since the NTAP program launched at the start of the 21st century. It’s almost double the number of medtech NTAPs awarded last year—the previous record—and substantially more than the one or two devices that would typically squeak through the program annually prior to 2020. (See Figure 1, “New Tech Device Payments, FY 2014-2026.” )
