MIPS and MVPs: What Clinicians Need to Know for 2026 and Beyond

Moderator(s)

• TT

  Thomas Tack, BS

  American College of Rheumatology
  West Grove, Pennsylvania, United States

  Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
• BR

  Beth Radtke, MS

  ACR
  Atlanta, Georgia, United States

  Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose

Session Coordinator(s)

• DJ

  Deanna Jannat-Khah, MPH, DrPH

  Hospital For Special Surgery
  New York, New York, United States

  Disclosure(s): AstraZeneca: I own shares (stock) in AstraZeneca (<$5K) (Ongoing); Cytodyn: I own shares (stock) in Cytodyn (<$5K) (Ongoing); Hospital For Special Surgery: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program (QPP) options are complex and confusing. This session aims to provide practicing clinicians and practice administrators with a primer on current value-based payment options in the QPP. A brief overview of Alternative Payment Model (APM), Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), and MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) will be provided, allowing for participants to better understand reimbursement models for the 2026 performance year and beyond. Value-based payment models are not only burdensome and complex, but they also have not lived up to the promise of value-based care. They are also constantly evolving, making it difficult to meet the ever-changing requirements. During this session, we hope to provide clarity on current APM, MIPS, and MVP pathways, and discuss the future of the QPP. We will also educate members on the capabilities of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry and discuss how the launch of the new RISE platform will further not only reduced reporting and administrative burden, but also appeal to a broader spectrum of practicing clinicians, particularly those in academic centers. The RISE registry, launched in 2014, is the first and largest electronic health record (EHR)-enabled U.S. rheumatology registry. As a HIPAA-compliant Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR), RISE currently attracts widespread participation among rheumatology clinicians and providers. With over 1,100 rheumatology clinicians and 3.7 million patients, RISE has been instrumental in advancing the specialty through improving care and expanding research.

Presentations:

• 2:30 PM – 2:50 PM Central Time

  Introduction and Overview of Alternative Payment Model (APM), Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), and MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs)
• 2:50 PM – 3:10 PM Central Time

  Using RISE to Easily and Effectively Report MIPS and MVPs
  

  Speaker: Puneet Bajaj, MD, MPH – UT Southwestern Medical Center
• 3:10 PM – 3:30 PM Central Time

  Panel Discussion
  

  Panelist: Puneet Bajaj, MD, MPH – UT Southwestern Medical Center