CMS Maintains NOPAIN Act Eligibility for ON-Q* and AmbIT* Infusion Pumps; Adds Game Ready* in 2026

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanos Medical, Inc. (NYSE: AVNS) announced today that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2026 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule. The Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act requires CMS to provide separate Medicare payment to facilities for qualifying non-opioid drugs and devices from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. CMS expanded the list of qualifying products for 2026.

The NOPAIN Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act (CAA), 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), is designed to expand patient access to non-opioid drugs and devices used for post-operative pain management in Hospital Outpatient Department (HOPD) and ASC settings paid under OPPS. The legislation directs Medicare to provide separate payment for qualifying non-opioid pain management treatments, helping ensure that clinicians and patients have access to effective non-opioid alternatives after surgery. In the calendar year (CY) 2026 final rule, CMS confirmed that Game Ready* GRPro 2.1 cryo-pneumatic compression pain management system meets qualifying requirements for separate payment under the NOPAIN Act, beginning Jan. 1, 2026. The Avanos ON-Q* elastomeric infusion pump and the Avanos ambit* electronic infusion pump - both non-opioid pain management delivery systems – will continue to receive separate payment under the NOPAIN Act as originally qualified in Jan. 2025. HOPDs and ASCs that use these products for post-surgical pain management will continue to receive separate Medicare payment under OPPS in addition to the payment for covered surgical procedures.

The ON-Q elastomeric and ambIT electronic infusion pumps were validated by CMS as treatments that can effectively replace or reduce postoperative opioid use, supported by clinical trial evidence and peer-reviewed research. The Game Ready GRPro 2.1 system was also validated by CMS as a cryo-pneumatic compression therapy used to reduce pain and swelling following surgery, supported by clinical research. These innovative non-opioid devices offer clinicians proven alternatives to traditional opioid-based pain management, helping to improve patient outcomes while reducing reliance on opioids after surgery.

Both ON-Q and ambIT infusion delivery systems each have a unique, brand-specific Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code eligible for separate payment in the HOPD and ASC settings. Game Ready GRPro 2.1 has also been assigned a unique, brand-specific HCPCS code (C9817) eligible for separate payment in the HOPD and ASC settings when medical necessity criteria and all other requirements are met. The payment limitation calculated and published by CMS is $2,008.72 for the ON-Q infusion system, $2,008.72 for the ambIT infusion system, and $1,997.16 for the Game Ready GRPro 2.1 pain management system, when deemed medically necessary and used in conjunction with a covered surgical procedure.

"We applaud CMS for recognizing the value of ON‑Q and ambIT pumps and the Game Ready system under the NOPAIN Act," said Dave Pacitti, CEO of Avanos Medical. "This decision reinforces CMS' commitment to expanding patient access to safe, effective, non‑opioid pain management options. We remain dedicated to partnering with clinicians and policymakers to advance proven solutions that help reduce opioid dependence and improve recovery outcomes."

For more information on ON-Q elastomeric infusion pump, ambIT electronic infusion pumps, and Game Ready GRPro 2.1 cryopneumatic compression device inclusion under the NOPAIN Act, please click here: Avanos NOPAIN Act.

For inquiries regarding the NOPAIN Act, contact our Market Access and Reimbursement Team at [email protected].

To view the Final Rule in its entirety, visit the Federal Register.

About Avanos Medical

Avanos Medical (NYSE: AVNS) is a medical technology company focused on delivering clinically superior medical device solutions that will help patients get back to what matters. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Avanos is committed to addressing some of today's most important healthcare needs, including providing a vital lifeline for nutrition to patients from hospital to home, and reducing the use of opioids while helping patients move from surgery to recovery. Avanos develops, manufactures and markets its recognized brands globally and holds leading market positions in multiple product categories. For more information, visit www.avanos.com and follow Avanos Medical on X (@AvanosMedical), LinkedIn and Facebook.

*Registered Trademark or Trademark of Avanos Medical, Inc., or its affiliates. © 2018-2026 AVNS. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Avanos Medical