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Game Ready Is Now a NOPAIN Act–Qualified Non-Opioid Solution

As of January 1, 2026, the Game Ready GRPro 2.1 cryo-pneumatic compression pain management system qualifies for separate Medicare payment under the NOPAIN Act. In hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers, that means a facility can offer non-opioid cold and compression to Medicare patients during outpatient surgery and be paid separately for it — up to $1,997.16 — without reducing the payment for the procedure itself.

For a surgeon or ASC leader, the short version is this: the reimbursement math that used to make a non-opioid device a cost center just changed. Here’s exactly what happened and what to do with it.

What changed on January 1, 2026

The NOPAIN Act unbundles Medicare Part B payment for qualifying non-opioid pain management in outpatient surgical settings. CMS updates the list of qualifying products each year through the OPPS/ASC Final Rule.[1]

In the 2026 Final Rule, CMS added the Game Ready GRPro 2.1 cryo-pneumatic compression pain management system to the qualifying list, effective January 1, 2026, with a separate payment of up to $1,997.16.[2] It joins two Avanos products that qualified in 2025 — the ON-Q and ambIT infusion pumps — as the non-opioid options a facility can be paid for separately.[2-1]

What it means for your practice or ASC

  • A non-opioid tool you’re no longer absorbing. The cost of the cold and compression system is now a separate, add-on payment rather than a line buried in the bundled procedure payment.[3]
  • The procedure payment is untouched. The NOPAIN payment sits separate and apart from what you already earn on the surgery.[3-1]
  • It’s paid through the Part B MAC, not the DME MAC, and the patient’s standard 20% coinsurance applies.[3-2]
  • No procedure restrictions. There’s no “approved procedure” list tying Game Ready to a specific surgery — it can be billed alongside covered outpatient procedures where it’s reasonable and necessary.[3-3]

Before you bill, confirm the correct HCPCS code and eligibility with your MAC per CMS guidance — the usual verification any new separate-payment item calls for.[3-4]

Why Game Ready, clinically

The reimbursement is the news; the reason it matters is the recovery. Game Ready pairs continuous cold with active pneumatic compression, which does two things ice alone can’t: it holds tissue temperature steady and pumps fluid away from the surgical site instead of letting it pool.[4]

That combination has a real link to lower opioid use — the outcome the NOPAIN Act was written to encourage:

  • In a randomized trial after total knee replacement, patients using computer-assisted cryotherapy used significantly fewer opioid tablets in the early days than those without it.[5]
  • A 2025 study of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair found patients may experience a reduction in pain and narcotic use with a postoperative cold therapy regimen.[6]
  • In a survey of 2,060 WRS Group patients, 70% reported using fewer opioids during recovery and 75% reported effective post-op pain relief; patients gave their surgeon an 87 NPS. Those patients were surveyed about their experience, not remotely tracked.[7]

A non-opioid option that patients say works, that studies link to fewer narcotics, and that Medicare now pays for separately — that’s a straightforward case to build into a recovery protocol.

The window is open now — and it closes

The NOPAIN separate-payment provision is temporary. It runs through December 31, 2027.[1-1] Game Ready’s qualification is live as of January 2026, which leaves a defined window to build it into your outpatient workflow and get the benefit while it’s available.

How WRS Group helps

WRS Group provides Game Ready to surgical practices and their patients, with 60,000 patients treated. If you want help understanding how a NOPAIN-qualified, non-opioid recovery option fits your setting — the workflow, the patient experience, and the practical steps — you can reach out to WRS Group directly. For the policy background, see What Is the NOPAIN Act? →.

Frequently asked questions

Is Game Ready covered under the NOPAIN Act?
Yes. The Game Ready GRPro 2.1 cryo-pneumatic compression pain management system qualifies for separate Medicare payment under the NOPAIN Act, effective January 1, 2026.[2-2]

How much is the separate payment for Game Ready?
$1,997.16, per the 2026 OPPS/ASC Final Rule.[2-3]

What settings does it apply to?
Hospital outpatient departments (HOPD) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASC), for Medicare beneficiaries.[3-5]

Does using Game Ready reduce my procedure payment?
No. The NOPAIN payment is separate and apart from the procedure reimbursement.[3-6]

Does this mean a patient’s home Game Ready rental is covered by Medicare?
No — this is a facility payment tied to the outpatient surgical setting. Home cold and compression follows separate rules and typically a prescription-based or cash-pay path.

How long is the NOPAIN Act in effect?
The separate-payment provision runs through December 31, 2027.[1-2]

How do we bill for it?
Facilities submit the appropriate HCPCS code per CMS guidance and should verify eligibility with their MAC before submission.[3-7]

References

  1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CY 2026 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule. (See also CY 2025 CMS-1809-FC.) https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cy-2025-medicare-hospital-outpatient-prospective-payment-system-ambulatory-surgical-center-payment↩︎↩︎↩︎
  2. Avanos Medical. NOPAIN Act & Avanos. https://avanos.com/resources/nopain-act-and-avanos/ · “CMS Maintains NOPAIN Act Eligibility for ON-Q and AmbIT Infusion Pumps; Adds Game Ready in 2026,” PR Newswire, Dec 2025.↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎
  3. American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). Summary — NOPAIN Act Implementation, Jan 7, 2025. https://www.aahks.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AAHKS-Summary-No-Pain-Act-Implementation-01.07.25-1.pdf↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎↩︎
  4. Block JE. Cold and compression in the management of musculoskeletal injuries and orthopedic operative procedures: a narrative review. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2010;1:105–113. PMID: 24198548.↩︎
  5. Thijs E, Schotanus MGM, Bemelmans YFL, Kort NP. Reduced opiate use after total knee arthroplasty using computer-assisted cryotherapy. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. 2019;27(4):1204–1212. PMID: 29725749.↩︎
  6. Xiao AX, et al. [Postoperative cold therapy and pain/narcotic use after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.] Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 2025. (Verify full citation + finding wording against the primary article before publish.)↩︎
  7. WRS Cold Compression Scores — patient-reported outcomes survey, n = 2,060 (WRS Group internal data, 2026).↩︎

Ready to bring Game Ready to your practice?

WRS Group provides Game Ready to surgical practices and ASCs — with help on workflow, the patient experience, and the practical NOPAIN Act billing steps. Tell us what you need and the right person will follow up.

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