In its 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System final rule, CMS added AFib-treating cardiac catheter ablation procedures to its ASC-covered procedures list. This follows advocacy efforts from a range of stakeholders to enable ablation services in the fast-rising ASC setting.
ASCs continue to rise in popularity as an alternative to traditional inpatient care in hospital settings. They deliver same-day outpatient care as a potentially more convenient, cost-effective option. Companies in a range of spaces, such as orthopedics and surgical robotics, continue to target ASCs for their offerings.
CMS’ covered procedure list (CPL) now includes cardiac ablation for ASCs, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The decision could benefit a number of companies offering cardiac ablation technologies. Those include the current leaders in pulsed-field ablation (PFA), Medtronic, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
Analysts recently outlined Boston Scientific’s effort to become the top player in the electrophysiology space with its Farapulse platform, while Medtronic’s recent quarterly results highlighted significant growth from its own PFA platform. Chair and CEO Geoff Martha said the company sees PFA in ASCs “as an incremental opportunity for market expansion.”
Johnson & Johnson MedTech, maker of the Varipulse platform, lauded the reimbursement decision on LinkedIn. The company said it remains committed to “shaping the future of ASC-based cardiac care.”
“Our integrated product portfolio is designed to enable physicians with the tools needed to deliver safe, efficient, and economically sustainable arrhythmia care in ASC settings,” the company said.
