Practices can check scores affecting 2027 Medicare payments while evaluating a proposed shift toward specialty-focused reporting.
Physicians and medical groups should review their newly released 2025 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores for errors that could affect their 2027 Medicare MIPS payment adjustments. Meanwhile, CMS proposes ending traditional MIPS reporting after the 2028 performance year and shifting to MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) beginning in 2029.
The developments create two distinct priorities: checking existing scores and preparing for a possible change in future reporting.
Check scores and document errors
CMS released 2025 MIPS final scores on September 21, 2026. Physicians and group practices can request a targeted review if they believe CMS incorrectly calculated their score or associated payment adjustment. Potential issues include data submitted under the wrong taxpayer identification number or National Provider Identifier, incorrect qualifying Alternative Payment Model (APM) participant status, or failure to apply eligible performance-category reweighting.
CMS permits requests from individual clinicians, groups, subgroups, virtual groups, and APM entities. Designated support staff and intermediaries may submit requests on participants’ behalf. Practices should gather documentation supporting alleged errors; targeted review does not provide a general opportunity to challenge CMS’ scoring methodology.
CMS says the targeted-review period closes 30 days after it releases the associated 2027 MIPS payment adjustments. Because published sources differ on the adjustment-release date, practices should confirm the applicable deadline through QPP and submit documented review requests promptly.
Evaluate the proposed MVP transition
CMS proposes making 2028 the final performance year for traditional MIPS reporting. Beginning in 2029, MVPs would become the only MIPS reporting option for eligible clinicians outside a MIPS APM. The APM Performance Pathway would remain available for applicable participants. CMS has not finalized this transition.
MVPs organize measures and activities by specialty or medical condition. CMA opposes mandatory adoption while gaps remain, citing specialties without suitable pathways, insufficient clinically relevant measures, and potential administrative burdens from multispecialty subgroup reporting.
Coordinate assistance across practice
IPA leaders can coordinate assistance across member practices, but review requests generally must match the level at which clinicians reported. CMS does not permit one group request to cover multiple clinicians who reported individually.
Network leaders can help practices confirm QPP access, assign review responsibilities, and assess available MVPs while monitoring final rulemaking. These are preparation steps, not new IPA obligations. The immediate priority remains checking scores that affect 2027 payments.