CMS released the Q2 FY 2026 Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) for short-term acute care hospitals. Your PEPPER helps you review your billing data to make sure claims are accurate. Use it to:

• Spot billing patterns that may need review or improvement
• Identify areas that may need closer monitoring or internal audits
• Find services that may be under-coded or over-coded
• Track trends like longer patient stays

How to Get Your PEPPER

Authorized officials (AOs), access managers (AMs), and staff end users (SEUs) can download their organization's report from the PEPPER Portal.

How to become an SEU:

• Sign in to the CMS Identity & Access (I&A) Management System using your existing NPPES or PECOS credentials.
• Request the PEPPER business function for your organization. The Comparative Billing Report business function is also available and you can request it at the same time.
• Your AO or AM must approve your request.

More Information

• Visit the Training & Resources webpage for more information about the release, the User Guide, and the upcoming webinar.
• See the I&A Quick Reference Guide and FAQs: Step-by-step instructions for AOs and AMs
• Contact the External User Services Help Desk