2026 Candidate Measure Submission Cycle Now Open
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Measures Under Consideration Entry/Review Information Tool (MERIT) is the online tool used to submit quality and efficiency measures for consideration by CMS Medicare programs. Measure developers and stewards use MERIT to enter and submit the required measure information.
The submission period for consideration on the 2026 Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List is now open and will close at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 7, 2026. For questions, please contact MMSsupport@battelle.org.
CMS prefers fully developed measures. For guidance on what constitutes a fully developed measure, visit the Measure Selection section on the CMS Measures Management System (MMS) Hub.
Helpful Resources
- MERIT Data Template – Outlines required data fields for 2026 submissions in a Word document
- CMS MERIT Submitter’s Quick Start Guide – Step-by-step guidance for using MERIT
- Pre-Rulemaking Resources – Includes examples of completed peer-reviewed journal templates
- Pre-Rulemaking Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Answers to common questions about the submission process and requirements.
- Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) peer-reviewed journal article template attached to the measure record in CMS MERIT.
- CMS encourages developers and stewards to visit the CMS MMS Hub regularly for updates on the MUC submission cycle.
Webinar Registration
Join CMS on Tuesday, March 24 from 2-3 PM ET for the webinar: “2026 Pre-Rulemaking Webinar: Submission Impossible? Not with CMS MERIT!”
During the session, CMS will cover:
- Measure selection considerations for the Measures Under Consideration (MUC) List
- An overview of the pre-rulemaking process
- Resources available on the Pre-Rulemaking Webpage on the MMS Hub
- New updates for the 2026 submission cycle
- A question-and-answer segment to address your questions
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