The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule, outlining updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for the 2026 performance year and beyond. The rule will be officially published on November 5, 2025, in the Federal Register.
CMS emphasized program stability while continuing the shift toward MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and greater alignment across programs.
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
- New Measures: 5 added, 30 revised, and 10 removed.
- Cost Measures: 2-year feedback period before impacting final scores.
- Improvement Activities: 3 added, 7 modified, and 8 removed.
- Promoting Interoperability: New suppression policy; the Electronic Case Reporting measure is suspended for CY 2025.
- Performance Threshold: Remains at 75 points through 2028.
MVPs (MIPS Value Pathways)
- 6 new MVPs added for 2026 in diagnostic/interventional radiology, neuropsychology, pathology, podiatry, and vascular surgery.
- All 21 existing MVPs were modified to reflect updated quality and activity measures.
- Registration Update: Multispecialty small practices can continue reporting as a group — subgroup reporting remains optional.
Advanced APMs
- CMS will now determine Qualifying APM Participant (QP) status at both the individual and entity levels, simplifying participation tracking.
Medicare Shared Savings Program (ACOs)
- Revised definition of “beneficiary eligible for Medicare CQMs” to reduce patient-matching burden and improve reporting alignment for ACOs.
Resources can be found on the QPP website.