In the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, CMS added two new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) as reporting options for MIPS-eligible radiologists.
MVPs, much like traditional MIPS, comprise four performance categories: Quality, Improvement Activities, Cost and Promoting Interoperability.
An MVP, however, supplies a more curated list of available measures and activities, offering more relevant options to subspecialty physicians. The two new MVPs in 2026 are related to diagnostic radiology and interventional radiology.
MVP performance categories are scored and weighted in the same way as traditional MIPS:
The same reweighting policies apply. Participants traditionally exempt from the Cost and/or Promoting Interoperability categories will likely still see those reweighted to Quality.
Notably, MVPs only require the submission of four Quality measures rather than the six required in traditional MIPS. However, an Outcome measure is still required. In the Diagnostic Radiology MVP, the available measures are:
Please be aware that the only Outcome measure currently available in the Diagnostic Radiology MVP measure set is eCQM 494. Participants who choose not to report an Outcome measure might be unable to achieve a full score in the Quality category.
Groups choosing to participate in an MVP have between April 1 and Dec. 1 to submit an application to CMS. Groups must elect to participate in an MVP within this window, or the option will not be available to them for the 2026 performance year.
For more information about MVPs, read this ACR helpdesk article.
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