CMS 2026 ASC Quality Reporting Program Changes

Overview of CMS ASC Quality Reporting

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires ambulatory surgery centers to participate in the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program as a condition for receiving the full annual payment update. ASCs that do not successfully report required quality measures face a 2.0 percentage point reduction in their annual payment update.

The ASCQR Program continues to evolve, with CMS periodically adding, removing, and modifying quality measures. Understanding these changes is essential for ASC administrators and compliance teams.

Key Changes for the 2026 Reporting Year

Measure Updates

CMS regularly refines the measure set to reflect current evidence and priorities. For the 2026 reporting year, ASCs should be aware of:

• Patient safety and adverse events: CMS continues to emphasize measures related to patient falls, wrong site surgery, and hospital transfers. ASCs must report these events through the CMS quality reporting portal.
• Healthcare-associated infections: Measures related to surgical site infections and other HAIs remain a focus. ASCs performing procedures on CMS's list of specified procedures must report relevant infection data.
• Patient experience: The OAS CAHPS (Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey remains a component of the program. ASCs must contract with a CMS-approved survey vendor.

Reporting Mechanisms

ASCs report quality data through multiple channels:

• QualityNet: The primary portal for measure data submission. ASCs must have active QualityNet accounts and designated security administrators.
• Claims-based measures: Some measures are calculated from Medicare claims data and do not require separate submission by the ASC.
• CMS Web-based measures: Certain measures require direct data entry through the CMS web-based data collection tool during the annual submission window.
• OAS CAHPS: Reported through CMS-approved survey vendors.

Submission Deadlines

ASCs must adhere to CMS-specified deadlines for data submission. Late or incomplete submissions result in the payment reduction. Key timeline considerations:

• Quality data for a given reporting year is typically submitted in the first half of the following year
• OAS CAHPS survey administration occurs throughout the reporting year
• Claims-based measures are calculated from claims submitted during the reporting period

Pharmacy-Related Quality Considerations

While the ASCQR Program does not include pharmacy-specific quality measures, medication management intersects with several reported measures:

• Patient safety events: Medication errors that result in patient harm must be reported
• Hospital transfers: Transfers related to adverse medication events contribute to transfer rate measures
• Infection prevention: Appropriate antibiotic selection and timing are components of infection prevention protocols

ASCs with strong pharmacy compliance programs are better positioned to perform well on these measures because medication safety is foundational to overall patient safety.

Preparing for 2026 Reporting

Administrative Steps

1. Verify your facility's QualityNet account is active and security administrators are current
2. Review the current measure set on the CMS ASCQR Program page
3. Confirm your OAS CAHPS survey vendor contract is in place for the reporting year
4. Assign staff responsibility for data collection and submission
5. Calendar all submission deadlines

Operational Steps

1. Review and update clinical protocols to align with current measure specifications
2. Ensure medication safety procedures support accurate adverse event identification and reporting
3. Conduct staff training on quality measure data collection
4. Integrate quality reporting into daily workflow rather than treating it as a retrospective exercise

Compliance Integration

Connect your quality reporting program with your pharmacy compliance program:

• Medication errors captured in your pharmacy QI program should feed into ASCQR adverse event reporting
• Temperature excursions and medication storage issues should be tracked as part of your quality program
• Consultant pharmacist visit findings should be reviewed for quality reporting implications

Staying Current

CMS publishes proposed and final rules for the ASCQR Program annually. Key resources:

• CMS ASCQR Program page for current measure specifications and guidance
• Federal Register for proposed and final rules
• QualityNet for submission tools and technical specifications
• CMS listservs for program updates and deadline reminders

Regulatory requirements change frequently. ASCs should designate a compliance contact who monitors CMS updates and communicates changes to relevant staff.