Quality Metrics & MIPS

Quality measurement is becoming the pressure point across Medicare VBC programs: Premier is pressing CMS to recalibrate FY 2027 inpatient policy, TEAM/CJR-X design, and hospital quality measures amid underpayment concerns, while specialty groups are urging changes before the 2027 Ambulatory Specialty Model launch—signaling provider pushback against models viewed as operationally complex or inadequately risk-adjusted. At the same time, performance accountability is tightening in MA and condition-specific models: Interwell reported strong quality scores and shared savings in CMS kidney care, while stakeholders are scrutinizing MA Star Ratings stability, diabetic eye exam measures, social-needs screening, and encounter data as core infrastructure for payment accuracy and equity-focused quality measurement. For ACOs, health systems, and payers, the week’s through-line is clear: VBC upside increasingly depends on defensible measure design, reliable data capture, and governance credibility—not just participation in CMS models. Premier comments on FY 2027 inpatient rule; [Interwell kidney care results](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8AFBVV95cUxNa19xZ2RoU1cyTTQ4Y1JUSlFjV0Nyc3MzTUtTUHNLbjFRZ2VhT3VpbDdxd