CMS Releases Final List of 2,217 CJR-X Participant Hospitals
CMS has published its initial list of hospitals required to participate in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Expanded (CJR-X) model, identifying 2,217 acute care hospitals that met the participant definition as of Sept. 30, 2026. CMS says it will update the list regularly to account for new hospitals, mergers and closures. CJR-X, finalized in the fiscal 2027 IPPS rule, becomes mandatory nationwide Jan. 1, 2028, covering Medicare patients' hip, knee and ankle replacement episodes through 90 days post-procedure, with payment tied to spending versus target price and quality performance. Hospitals in the Transforming Episode Accountability Model, Maryland hospitals, and those not paid under both inpatient and outpatient PPS are exempt; Maryland and Rhode Island have no participating hospitals, and the list skews toward the South and Midwest, with Texas alone contributing 275 hospitals.