Crucial Deadlines for Quality Payment Program (QPP) Under CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has highlighted critical deadlines for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) that medical practitioners and group practices must monitor. Physicians have until June 11, 2026, to examine their 2024 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance data before it appears in the Provider Data Catalog and on Medicare.gov's comparison tool. The American Medical Association advises physicians to check their data for accuracy during this period and address discrepancies before public release.

To review data, physicians can use the Quality Payment Program portal with their Health Care Quality Improvement Systems (HCQIS) Access Roles and Profile (HARP) credentials. Correction requests should be submitted to the Quality Payment Program Service Center before the preview ends on June 11 at 8 p.m. ET. The QPP Service Center can be contacted via email, service center ticket, or at 1-866-288-8292 for assistance, including support with HARP user role access.

Exception Applications for 2026 QPP Cycle

Furthermore, CMS is accepting exception applications for the 2026 QPP cycle until December 31, 2026. These applications support clinicians, groups, virtual groups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants who are unable to meet MIPS reporting requirements due to qualified hardships or extraordinary circumstances.

There are two types of exception applications available. The MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception permits the reweighting of the Promoting Interoperability category due to issues such as decertified EHRs, insufficient internet, financial challenges, vendor problems, or limitations on certified EHR technology availability. Additionally, the MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception is for rare, uncontrollable events impacting data collection or submission, such as disasters or operational disruptions affecting quality, cost, improvement activities, or Promoting Interoperability categories.

Participants can submit exception applications by accessing the QPP Exceptions Application page with their HARP account, selecting "Exceptions Application," clicking “Add New QPP Exception,” and choosing the relevant type. Eligible applications can exempt participants from certain reporting requirements, but any qualifying submitted data will still contribute to the MIPS score. APM Entities, including Accountable Care Organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, may apply for exceptions across all MIPS categories, with approved exceptions resulting in non-scored submitted data.

Practices are encouraged to review MIPS data and consider their eligibility for exceptions well before deadlines to mitigate reporting challenges and potential payment implications. For further inquiries, contact Dara Barrera, Director of Health Quality, Equity and Technology, at djbarrera@msms.org.