What You Should Know:– The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued the 2026 Final Rule that officially codifies the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), an innovative new blueprint for tech-enabled, outcome-based care payment models. The five surgical procedures included in TEAM—lower extremity joint replacement, spinal fusion, coronary artery bypass graft, major bowel procedures, and hip/femur fracture treatment—make up about 20% of the current annual Medicare reimbursement for mandated hospitals. The TEAM model aims to eliminate these unnecessary costs by empowering hospitals to improve care coordination and quality, ultimately resulting in better patient outcomes. The 742 facilities mandated to participate stand to gain a total of $3 billion in additional revenue via these incentive payments by adhering to TEAM. “With the billions in additional incentive payments from TEAM also comes staggering requirements for the mandated hospitals and health systems.