News

On Oct. 31, 2025, the CMS released the CY 2026 MPFS Final Rule. As required by statute, beginning in CY 2026, there will be two separate conversion factors (CF): one for qualifying alternative payment model (APM) participants (QPs) and one for physicians and practitioners who are not QPs.

• $33.57 represents a projected increase of $1.22 (+3.77%) from the CY 2025 CF of $32.35 for qualifying APM.

• $33.40 represents a projected increase of $1.05 (+3.26%) from the CY 2025 CF of $32.35 for nonqualifying APM.

Additionally, the CF includes a budget-neutrality adjustment of +0.49 percent and a 2.5 percent temporary increase for 2026, provided under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Efficiency adjustments

CMS finalized its proposal with modifications to apply an efficiency adjustment of 2.5% to the work relative value units (RVUs) and the corresponding intraservice portion of physician time for non-time-based services, for which they expect to accrue efficiency gains over time. CMS has finalized an updated list of healthcare common procedure coding system codes, removing some codes that were incorrectly included in the proposed rule and were exempt from the efficiency adjustment.

Payment differential adjustment

CMS also finalized its proposal to reduce the portion of the facility practice expense (PE) RVUs allocated for physicians based on work RVUs to half the amount allocated to physicians’ non-facility PE RVUs beginning in CY 2026.

Allowed charges by specialty

CMS estimates the impact on total allowed charges to interventional radiology for CY 2026 will be:

• Total RVU impact = 2%

• Nonfacility RVU impact = 7%

• Facility RVU impact = -7%

SIR's Economic Steering and Quality Committee is reviewing the payment files and will provide an impact analysis as soon as possible.

• CY 2026 MPFS Final Rule

• MPFS Press Release

• MPFS Fact Sheet

• Shared Savings Program Fact Sheet

• Quality Payment Program Fact Sheet