Updated Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice Now in Effect

Date: 06/01/26

The Office of Management and Budget approved the updated Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON) for three years. The updated version improves readability and design and is effective through February 28,2029.

Providers may continue to use the previous MOON but must transition to the latest version by April 20, 2026.

Providers must deliver a MOON to Medicare beneficiaries (including health plan enrollees) informing them that they are outpatients receiving observation services and are not inpatients of a hospital or critical access hospital. 

For additional instructions, see Section 400, Chapter 30, of the CMS Claims Processing Manual.