The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractor, Acumen, LLC, will conduct field testing from January 29 to February 27, 2026, for three new episode-based cost measures, including one that focuses on Parkinsonism Syndromes and Multiple Sclerosis. Field testing allows CMS to collect feedback and potentially refine the measure before it is considered for potential use in the cost performance category of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
The Parkinsonism Syndromes and Multiple Sclerosis cost measure was developed with input from various specialty societies, including the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R). This measure evaluates the cost of medically managing patients with Parkinsonism Syndromes and Multiple Sclerosis.
Importance of Field Testing Feedback
Since rehabilitation services can trigger accountability for this measure, feedback from AAPM&R members is important to ensure the measure is being applied appropriately before Medicare physician payments are tied to performance. Field testing is an opportunity for AAPM&R members to not only learn about this new measure, but to provide feedback via an online survey on whether the measure is being applied appropriately, as well as the format and utility of performance feedback reports. Comments collected from the public will be used to consider potential refinements to the measure specifications and performance feedback reports prior to adoption in MIPS.
Note that only clinicians and group practices that are attributed a minimum number of episodes (20) under the measure will receive a Field Test Report with information about their cost performance. The measurement period reflected in the Field Test Reports is January 1 to December 31, 2024. Performance information presented in the report is for field testing purposes only and will not be tied to payment.
How to Provide Feedback
Anyone interested in the measure is invited to provide feedback—regardless of whether you receive a report (information about how to access reports is provided below). You can provide feedback on the draft measure specifications through this online survey once the field testing period begins.
- The survey will open on January 29 and close at 11:59 PM ET on February 27, 2026.
- All survey questions will be optional. Participation is voluntary, and all feedback may be submitted anonymously.
- You may attach a comment letter (as a PDF or Word document) in addition to or as an alternative to responding to the survey questions.
- The link to the survey, which does not require a login, will also be included in the Field Test Reports and across other supplemental documentation so that you will be able to navigate easily to it from the documents you review.
Field Testing Materials
Field testing materials will be available on the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information pages at the start of field testing, including:
- Specifications for the Parkinsonism Syndromes and Multiple Sclerosis measure
- Draft Measure Methodology
- Draft Measure Code Lists with codes and logic associated with each measure
- Informational field testing documents and recordings
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document
- Measure Development Process document
- At-A-Glance Measure Summary Sheet for the Parkinsonism Syndromes and Multiple Sclerosis measure, which provides high level measure descriptions and testing results
- Measure Testing Form for the measure, which provide detailed analytic results
- A “Questions for Field Testing Measure Specifications” document, which contains a list of the survey questions for reference while reviewing materials
- Mock Field Test Reports for those who do not meet the case minimum, but would still like to view the format of the performance feedback report
- Field Test Report Walkthrough recordings, which demonstrate reviewing a field test report for each measure
- Documents about how to access your Field Test Report (if eligible)
- Quality Payment Program Access User Guide (click to download ZIP) with guidance on how to create an account
- Field Test Report User Access Guide with information on how to access the report on the Quality Payment Program website
Cost Measures Field Testing Presentation
CMS and Acumen will post a 2026 Cost Measures Field Testing presentation to the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information page. This presentation will provide:
- Information about the three episode-based cost measures undergoing field testing
- Project background, measure development process, and field testing activities
- Discussion of the content of the Field Test Report, how to access and interpret these reports, and information on the supplemental documentation posted on the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information pages
Accessing the Field Test Reports
At the start of field testing, CMS/Acumen will attempt to send email notices directly to group practices that have a field test report available. The notice sender will appear as “Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services” and the email address will be cmslists@subscriptions.cms.hhs.gov. If you believe you may be eligible for a report, please make sure to add this email address to your safe sender list.
Note that CMS/Acumen is limited in its outreach based on who has available group contact information on file. They also do not have access to individual clinician contacts at this time. As such, it is important to check to see if you have a field test report available by logging into the secure Quality Payment Program (QPP) portal, regardless of whether you receive an email notification. You or your group’s authorized representative can see if a Measure Field Test Report is available at https://qpp.cms.gov/login using a QPP website account. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a HCQIS Access Roles and Profile (HARP) account in order to sign in.[1] Once you have access, you can connect with your organization by navigating to the “Manage Access” tab of the QPP website. If you are part of a clinician group, you will select the “practice” organization type, and if you are an individual clinician, you will select the “individual clinician” organization type.
The Quality Payment Program Access User Guide (download here) provides more information on these account set-up processes.[2]
Note that Field Test Reports are separate from the Quality Payment Program MIPS Performance Feedback Reports, though both reports are made available through this website.
Groups are identified by their Medicare billing TIN. A group consists of two or more eligible clinicians, as identified by their NPIs that bill under the same TIN. A group will receive a Field Test Report only if the TIN is attributed the minimum number of cases (20) under the measure among all NPIs billing under the TIN. For a QPP account, a group can have either of the following roles:
- Security Official
- Staff User
Users who have a Security Official role will be able to see all TIN- NPI reports within their TIN, as well as the TIN’s overall report, so it is a role that is more appropriate for someone who is in an administrative position at the TIN. Each organization must have a Security Official role before any other group members can request a Staff User role. The group-level users (i.e., Security Official and Staff Users) have access to the group practice’s reports and the individual-level reports for the solo practitioners within the group practice.
An individual eligible clinician (or a solo practitioner) is identified by a single NPI that bills under the TIN. Individual clinicians will receive a Field Test Report only if the NPI is attributed the minimum number of cases (20) under a measure. Clinicians looking to view only their TIN-NPI report should connect to the individual clinician organization type, regardless of whether they’re a part of a group practice or they practice on their own.
The Field Test Report User Access Guide, available on the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information pages at the start of field testing, provides more detailed information on accessing a Field Test Report.
Project Background
To learn more about the episode-based cost measure development process, please refer to the Measure Development Process document available on the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information pages at the start of field testing. Summaries from workgroup meetings held to-date can be found on the CMS.gov QPP Cost Measure Information "Current Work" page. After field testing, all workgroups will revisit and refine the measure specifications based on testing results and evaluation of the feedback received during field testing.
Questions
If you have any questions or require assistance, please contact the Quality Payment Program Service Center at 1-866-288-8292, Monday-Friday 8am-8pm ET or QPP@cms.hhs.gov.
You may also contact healthpolicy@aapmr.org.