HHS Releases Kidney Care National Plan 2026
– Significant kidney policy news was released on October 20, 2026. HHS released its new Kidney Care National Plan, outlining where the federal government wants to take kidney care next.
The plan spans the entire continuum from early detection and prevention to dialysis and transplantation, with a pretty clear thesis: kidney care needs more competition, more innovation, better incentives, and much greater focus upstream.
CMS Relocates ESRD Interpretive Guidance to SOM Appendix H
July 2, 2026 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has revised the placement of interpretive guidance and survey procedures for the End-Stage Renal Disease program to align with those for other provider types.
In addition, CMS has updated the guidance documents to incorporate statutory and regulatory changes to the Social Security Act and the Conditions for Coverage, as well as policy updates previously issued through QSO memos. These revisions consolidate important information into a single, accessible resource.
Note: The Standards have not changed; only interpretive guidance and survey tools have been updated.
Updates:
- The ESRD interpretive guidance and survey protocol will be relocated from the CMS ESRD Facility Provider website to Appendix H of the State Operations Manual.
- Following this transition, the interpretive guidance and survey protocol will no longer be available on the CMS website.
- Users may access the guidance, survey protocol, and corresponding surveyor worksheets through Appendix H of the SOM by selecting Appendix Letter "H" for ESRD Facilities.
Summary of Key Appendix H Updates can be found at: CMS QSO-26-09-ESRD