Chargemaster 2026: Key Updates to Avoid $250K+ Penalties and Maximize Revenue

The hospital chargemaster is the backbone of accurate billing, reimbursement, and financial reporting, yet it remains one of the most complex and high-risk components of the revenue cycle. This session provides a practical overview of the hospital chargemaster and its critical role in supporting revenue integrity, minimizing denials, and ensuring accurate cost reporting. 

The session will explore the revenue integrity function and how it bridges clinical operations, coding, and finance to support compliant charge capture and sustainable revenue. 

The session will review the most challenging and high-risk areas for charge capture—such as supplies, infusions, emergency services, and ancillary departments—and outline strategies to strengthen controls in these areas.

• Discuss Chargemaster Best Practices and Revenue Integrity Function 
• Evaluate how pricing and the chargemaster are connected. 
• Learn methods in managing chargemaster updates. 
• Identify high-risk charge capture areas within the chargemaster and implement strategies to reduce denials and compliance risk. 
• Analyze the impact of chargemaster accuracy on reimbursement, revenue integrity, and cost reporting. 
• Apply structured governance and oversight practices to maintain chargemaster integrity and sustainability. 
• Develop practical controls and cross-department collaboration processes to strengthen charge capture and prevent revenue leakage. 

• Overview of the hospital chargemaster 
• Successful chargemaster maintenance 
• Overview of a revenue integrity function 
• Impact on denials 
• Cost report implications 
• Overview of most challenging areas for charge capture 
• Pricing strategy alignment and reimbursement implications 
• Governance structure and departmental accountability 
• Common chargemaster errors and revenue leakage risks 
• Internal controls and monitoring best practices 
• Audit preparedness and compliance risk mitigation 
• Live Q&A Sessions

• Revenue Cycle Directors and Managers 
• Revenue Integrity Leaders and Analysts 
• Chargemaster Coordinators 
• HIM Directors and Coding Managers 
• Compliance Officers and Auditors 
• Patient Financial Services Leadership 
• Finance and Reimbursement Managers 
• Cost Report Specialists 
• Clinical Department Leaders involved in charge capture 
• CDI Professionals 
• Internal Audit Teams  

Rachel Pugliano, RHIT, CHC, CRCR | Director, Healthcare Consulting
Rachel has over 25 years of experience focusing compliance programming and mid-cycle of the revenue cycle functions to include coding, compliance, documentation improvement, revenue integrity and charge capture.  Rachel assists clients with the improvement of their revenue cycle functions as well as maintaining compliance with government regulations.  Rachel assesses compliance programs for the organization as well as assists with the risk assessment process. She assists with development of coding compliance reviews and documentation improvement strategies for both hospitals and medical group practices.  Rachel is a member of AHIMA, HCCA and is on the board for the South Texas HFMA chapter serving as Past-President.