At a Glance
The six dates you cannot miss.
These are the hard deadlines for the 2026 MIPS performance year. Missing any one of them can permanently limit your scoring opportunities or trigger automatic penalty adjustments of up to 9% on Medicare Part B reimbursement in 2028.
Apr 1
MVP Registration Opens
Registration window opens at qpp.cms.gov. Start here for specialty-aligned reporting.
🔴 Hard Deadline
Jun 30
CAHPS Registration Closes
8 pm ET. If using CAHPS as a quality measure, MVP registration must also be complete.
Jul 5
180-Day PI Period
Last day to start the Promoting Interoperability performance period for full eligibility.
Oct 3
90-Day IA Period
Last day to start an Improvement Activities performance period within the calendar year.
🔴 Hard Deadline
Nov 30
MVP Registration Closes
8 pm ET. No changes after this date. Default to Traditional MIPS if not registered.
🔴 Hard Deadline
Mar 31, 2027
Data Submission Closes
Final deadline to submit 2026 performance data. Missed submissions trigger automatic 9% penalty.
Full Calendar
The complete year, quarter by quarter.
Every scheduled CMS milestone for 2026, including secondary dates that matter for APM participants, exception filers, and practices considering virtual groups.
The performance clock starts January 1. Begin gathering quality metrics immediately — waiting until later in the year compresses your ability to course-correct if performance lags.
Jan 1, 2026
2026 MIPS Performance Year Begins
Performance period runs Jan 1 – Dec 31. All quality measure data is collected from this date.
February 2026
Final Measure Specifications Posted
CMS publishes full 2026 measure specifications, improvement activity descriptions, and supporting documentation in the QPP Resource Library.
The most important quarter of the year for strategic decisions. MVP registration opens April 1; CAHPS registration closes June 30. Every decision made here locks in for the full performance year.
April 1, 2026
🚀 MVP Registration Window Opens
Registration opens at qpp.cms.gov. Window runs through November 30, 8 pm ET. Multispecialty groups with 16+ clinicians must now register at the subgroup level.
April 1, 2026
CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration Opens
If planning to use CAHPS as a quality measure within an MVP, registration must be completed by June 30. Separate from MVP registration.
Spring/Summer 2026
Exception Applications Open
Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) Exception and Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception applications become available. Accepted until December 31, 8 pm ET.
June 30, 2026
🔴 CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration Closes
Hard deadline at 8 pm ET. If reporting the CAHPS for MIPS Survey associated with an MVP, both the CAHPS registration AND the MVP registration must be complete by this date.
Mid-year strategy quarter. Promoting Interoperability and Improvement Activities performance periods have specific minimum durations that must be started by certain dates to count for the performance year.
July 5, 2026
🔴 Last Day to Start 180-Day PI Performance Period
Promoting Interoperability requires a continuous 180-day performance period within the calendar year. Starting after July 5 means you cannot report PI for the full eligibility window.
July 2026
APM Eligibility Updated (March Snapshot)
Qualifying Participant (QP) determinations and MIPS APM participation information available on the QPP Participation Status Tool based on the March 31 APM Snapshot date.
The pressure quarter. October 3 is the last day to start an IA performance period. November 30 closes MVP registration permanently. December 31 ends the performance year. No extensions.
October 3, 2026
🔴 Last Day to Start 90-Day IA Performance Period
Improvement Activities require a continuous 90-day performance period within the calendar year. This is the absolute last day to begin.
October 2026
APM Eligibility Updated (June Snapshot)
QP determinations and MIPS APM participation information available based on the June 30 APM Snapshot date.
November 2026
2027 QPP Final Rule Published
CMS typically publishes the Final Rule for the following performance year in early November. Review immediately for changes affecting current-year decisions.
November 30, 2026
🔴 MVP Registration Window Closes
Hard deadline at 8 pm ET. No changes to MVP registration after this date. Practices that haven't registered default to Traditional MIPS for the entire performance year.
December 2026
2026 MIPS Eligibility Finalized
QP determinations and final MIPS APM participation information available based on the August 31 APM Snapshot date.
December 31, 2026
🔴 MIPS Performance Period Ends
Performance period ends at midnight. Also the final deadline for Exception Applications. Security Risk Analysis and High Priority SAFER Guide Self-Evaluation must be complete.
The year after the performance year — when data gets submitted, scored, and payment adjustments are calculated. Missing the March 31 submission deadline triggers an automatic 9% negative payment adjustment for 2028.
January 4, 2027
2026 Data Submission Window Opens
Practices can begin submitting 2026 performance data via QPP portal, QRDA III files, or approved Qualified Registry.
March 31, 2027
🔴 2026 Submission Window Closes
Final hard deadline. No extensions. Practices that miss this deadline receive the maximum 9% negative payment adjustment for 2028.
Summer 2027
2026 MIPS Final Scores Available
CMS releases final scores and payment adjustment notifications. Targeted Review window opens upon release — 30 days to contest scoring errors.
The payment adjustments determined by 2026 performance take effect and apply to all Medicare Part B claims throughout 2028. Strong performers see up to +9%; poor performers see up to -9%. Two years after the work, the reward or penalty lands.
January 1, 2028
2028 Payment Year Begins
MIPS payment adjustments determined by 2026 final scores take effect and continue through December 31, 2028.