On April 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its fiscal year 2019 proposed rule for the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital prospective payment systems. The rule affects inpatient PPS hospitals, critical access hospitals, LTCHs, and PPS-exempt cancer hospitals. It contains several key proposals that would help deliver on CMS’s promise to ease regulatory barriers and allow hospitals and health systems to better provide high-quality, efficient patient care. The American Hospital Association has developed a detailed, 33-page Regulatory Advisory summarizing the rule. Comments on the proposed rule are due to CMS by June 25. The final rule will be published on or around Aug. 1 and take effect Oct. 1. ​​​