PEPPER Is Relaunching — Get Ready Now
What Home Health Agencies Need to Know and Do Now
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) | Prepared for our clients by Solutions for Care | August 29, 2026
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that the Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) is relaunching soon for all Medicare facility types, including hospitals, post-acute care providers, and specialty facilities — including Home Health Agencies. PEPPER is a free tool that helps providers review Medicare billing data, spot potential issues early, and support accurate claims. Solutions for Care is sharing this alert now so your agency can secure access before your facility's PEPPER report is released.
⚠ IMPORTANT FOR HOME HEALTH AGENCIES
It is important that a Home Health Agency ensure their percentages are in alignment with state and national averages. If they are not, CMS will flag the agency for increased scrutiny, audits, and takebacks of money.
Reviewing your PEPPER data as soon as it is released — and comparing it to state and national benchmarks — is one of the most effective ways to catch outliers before they trigger a CMS audit.
Take Action Now to Ensure Timely Access
Authorized Officials (AOs), Access Managers (AMs), and Staff End Users (SEUs) can access PEPPER through the PEPPER Portal. Taking these steps now will help ensure your agency has timely access when your facility's PEPPER is released.
How to Get Access as a Staff End User (SEU)
- Sign in to the CMS Identity & Access (I&A) System using your existing National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) or Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership (PECOS) credentials: https://go.cms.gov/4dxGjua
- Request the PEPPER business function for your organization. The Comparative Billing Report (CBR) business function is also available and can be requested at the same time.
- Your AO or AM must approve your request.
- Once approved, log in to the PEPPER Portal and download your organization's PEPPER: https://go.cms.gov/4nUZ1kt
Need Help Getting Started?
- I&A Quick Reference Guide: https://go.cms.gov/4uhUSIG
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) — step-by-step instructions for AOs and AMs: https://go.cms.gov/4x817l1
- Technical assistance — PECOS External User Services (EUS) Help Desk: https://go.cms.gov/4uiMjxp
Solutions for Care recommends that every Home Health Agency client confirm AO/AM access is current and request SEU access now, well ahead of the PEPPER relaunch. If your team would like help interpreting your PEPPER report once it is released, or reviewing your billing patterns against state and national averages, please reach out to us — we are glad to help.
Solutions for Care Nallen@solutionsforcare.com
