March 25, 2026

On Feb. 24, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an updated Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON), which impacts BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s Medicare Advantage plans.

The Office of Management and Budget has approved the revised MOON notice for a three-year period. CMS has enhanced the notice to improve readability and overall design. The updated version is now available in both English and Spanish on the CMS website, and will remain valid through Feb. 28, 2029.

As a reminder, the MOON notice must be provided to Medicare beneficiaries to inform them that they are considered outpatients receiving observation services and are not admitted as inpatients of a hospital or critical access hospital.

We encourage you to review the updated MOON notice in detail to ensure full understanding and compliance with this requirement. If you have any questions or need additional clarification, please feel free to contact your Provider Relations Consultant.

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