Medicare's Free Billing-Pattern Report Returns After a Three-Year Pause

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced on July 23 that it is relaunching the Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report, known as PEPPER, for all Medicare facility types. The tool was last available in April 2023, after which CMS paused publication while it reevaluated and improved the metrics it tracks. PEPPER is free. Authorized staff at each facility can download a customized report showing how their billing patterns compare with peers at the state, Medicare Administrative Contractor jurisdiction, and national level. The tool typically examines therapy and nursing service use, patient length of stay, and other billing categories that Medicare flags as high risk. Providers can use the report to identify patterns that may warrant an internal audit, spot potential over-coding or under-coding, and find documentation gaps before federal reviewers might notice the same issues. For skilled nursing facilities, PEPPER reports are expected to be available in September 2026. Hospitals and other post-acute care providers will be notified when their reports are ready through the PEPPER Portal. Access requires signing in through the CMS Identity and Access system using existing National Plan and Provider Enumeration System or Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System credentials. CMS describes PEPPER as a self-audit resource rather than an enforcement action. Its return gives facility billing teams an early look at how their claims compare to peers before regulators or auditors might flag the same patterns.