After a three-year hiatus, the Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report, commonly known as PEPPER, is returning for Skilled Nursing Facilities in September 2026.
PEPPER provides facility-specific Medicare claims data that can help SNFs identify billing patterns that may require closer review. The report compares facility performance with national, state and Medicare Administrative Contractor jurisdiction benchmarks, helping leaders prioritize auditing, monitoring and documentation improvement efforts.
The return of PEPPER gives SNF leaders an important opportunity to evaluate potential compliance risks before they become larger concerns. While being identified as an outlier does not mean an improper payment has occurred, it can indicate where internal auditing, documentation review or additional education may be appropriate.
To help organizations prepare, the Functional Pathways Clinical Team developed a concise PEPPER Quick Sheet outlining what the report includes, how to access it and what steps facilities should take once their data becomes available.
Download the quick sheet to learn:
- The purpose of PEPPER and how facility data is evaluated
- The latest target areas affecting Skilled Nursing Facilities
- How PEPPER compares your facility with national, state and jurisdiction benchmarks
- What the 80th- and 20th-percentile thresholds may indicate
- How to secure access to the PEPPER Portal
- Recommended compliance and internal auditing practices
- Steps your organization can take before the September release
