Statement attributable to: Jan K. Carney, MD, MPH, MACP President, American College of Physicians WASHINGTON, June 2, 2026—The American College of Physicians is strongly opposed to the community engagement requirements, or work requirements, in the Medicaid program, that would be implemented under the interim final rule published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services yesterday. Most adults covered by Medicaid are already working, caregiving, or would not be subject to this policy due to illness or disability; research shows us that instituting work requirements will not…
PURPOSE Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs) offer many potential benefits to older adults, but patients in racial and ethnic minority groups have lower rates of AWV completion. Our objective was to understand older minority patients’ attitudes and preferences related to preventive care and AWVs. METHODS From June 2024 through October 2024, we conducted 4 focus groups at 2 urban primary care settings (ie, an academic health system and a Federally Qualified Health Center) among Medicare enrollees aged 66 years or more with 1 or more primary care encounter at a participating organization…
We are excited to announce that NCQA and our partners, eHealth Exchange, Cambia Health Solutions and MultiCare Health System, received a 2026 KLAS Points of Light Award for a Payer/Provider Initiative. Our work to advance digital quality measurement was a cross-sector collaboration that demonstrated how Bulk FHIR® transforms quality data exchange. The Problem: Fragmented, Manual […] The post NCQA Receives KLAS Points of Light Award for Demonstrating the Feasibility of Bulk FHIR Exchange appeared first on NCQA .
NCQA will join the vibrant community of researchers, policymakers and practitioners at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) in Seattle, WA, from May 30 to June 2. This year’s theme, “Rigor and Relevance Driving Action,” reflects the urgency of ensuring that research not only meets the highest standards but also informs decisions that improve health and healthcare […] The post NCQA President Will Participate in a “Great Debate” at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting appeared first on NCQA .
PHILADELPHIA, May 18, 2026—The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) should reform Medicare Advantage to protect patient health and realign the plan option with its original purpose, says the American College of Physicians (ACP). In a new paper, “ Protecting the Integrity and Quality of the Medicare Advantage Program: A Position Paper from the American College of Physicians ” published today in Annals of Internal Medicine , ACP examines the growth of the Medicare Advantage program and its implications for the delivery of fair, high-quality and fiscally responsible care to older…
The U.S. healthcare sector accounts for roughly 8.5% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, driven largely by energy use, supply chains, transportation and waste. While much of the conversation about healthcare decarbonization has focused on hospitals and clinical care, health plans play a powerful—and often overlooked—role in shaping how care is delivered and how resources […] The post New NCQA Research: What Health Plan Leaders Can Do to Reduce Climate Impact appeared first on NCQA .
On March 31, NCQA released the HEDIS® MY 2026 Volume 2: Technical Update (Technical Update), which provides comprehensive guidance for organizations reporting HEDIS. With this release, the HEDIS Volume 2: Technical Specifications are “frozen” for MY 2026. Why is the HEDIS Technical Update Important? HEDIS is a set of standardized performance measures that enable consumers, […] The post NCQA Releases HEDIS® MY 2026 Volume 2 Technical Update appeared first on NCQA .
The gap between rising demand for behavioral health services and the healthcare system’s ability to deliver timely, coordinated care continues to widen. Nearly 59 million U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, yet about half do not receive treatment—creating significant downstream consequences for patients, families and the broader healthcare system. As the demand for behavioral […] The post Advancing Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care: Turning Shared Priorities Into Action appeared first on NCQA .
CMS and FDA announce the Regulatory Alignment for Predictable and Immediate Device (RAPID) coverage pathway, a new pathway designed to expedite access to certain FDA-designated Class II and Class III Breakthrough Devices for people with Medicare.
As the healthcare industry moves toward interoperability, health plans are using more clinical data in HEDIS® reporting. Clinical data come from many sources: care delivery organizations, health information exchanges, qualified health information networks and vendors. As the volume and complexity of clinical data used in HEDIS evolve, organizations need more scalable ways to evaluate whether […] The post NCQA Is Launching a New Data Quality Solution for Digital HEDIS® and Seeks Beta Partners appeared first on NCQA .
NCQA is recruiting Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) sponsored health centers and Look-Alikes (LAL) interested in achieving and maintaining Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition. This project is funded through a new task order under our Indefinite-Delivery-Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract with HRSA. “NCQA has been partnering with HRSA to improve quality and efficiency in health centers […] The post NCQA Is Recruiting Federal Health Centers to Participate in HRSA-Funded Program appeared first on NCQA .
In honor of National Kidney Month in March, we interviewed Chiadi Ndumele, MD, PhD, MHS, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Obesity and Cardiometabolic Research, Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is a national expert on Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome and a participant in NCQA’s recent convenings focused on improving […] The post Dr. Chiadi Ndumele: “CKM Syndrome Doesn’t Respect Our Subspecialty Silos” appeared first on NCQA .
This report describes influenza and COVID-19 vaccination coverage among health care providers in the United States during the 2024-25 respiratory virus season.
Toolkit Checklists are helpful in reducing omissions in standardized processes designed to support safe care. This checklist targets the persistent problem of central line-associated infections by providing critical steps for teams to take to reduce variance in central line insertion . Available at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality . Share Facebook <a tabindex="0" class="dropdown-item" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Central Line Insertion Care Team Checklist.&url=https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/central-line-insertion-care-team-checklist"> Twitter…
Toolkit Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA ) is a known threat to patient safety. This toolkit highlights actions supporting universal decolonization as an effective strategy for reducing MRSA infections. This enhanced protocol provides instructions for implementing universal decolonization in adult intensive care units. Available at Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality . Share Facebook <a tabindex="0" class="dropdown-item" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Universal ICU Decolonization: An Enhanced…