NCQA Programs Public Comment

NCQA seeks public comment from a variety of stakeholders on the proposed updates for NCQA’s Programs. Reviewers are asked to submit comments in writing through my.ncqa.org portal by 11:59 pm (ET), Friday, September 5, 2025.

Welcome to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Public Comment Resource Site, where you can find all pertinent information pertaining to Standards Year 2026 Public Comment.

NCQA now invites public comment feedback on changes proposed for surveys beginning July 1, 2026 in the following programs:

  • Physician and Hospital Quality Certification
  • Health Equity Accreditation
  • Updates aligned with Health Equity Accreditation in the following programs:
    • Health Plan Accreditation
    • Behavioral Health Accreditation (formerly MBHO Accreditation)
    • Distinction in Long-Term Services and Supports
    • Accreditation of Case Management for LTSS
    • Wellness and Health Promotion Accreditation/Certification

We value the perspectives of health care industry professionals, patients, health plan stakeholders and state agencies that play a critical role in shaping policies that directly impact public health and well-being. NCQA appreciates all feedback, and uses your comments to enhance and develop our programs and products. Your feedback is instrumental in ensuring that our programs align the goals and needs of multiple health care stakeholders, including the patients, members and communities you serve. 

  • Reviewers are asked to submit comments in writing through the My NCQA portal by 11:59 pm (ET), Friday, September 5, 2025.

PROPOSED PROGRAM UPDATES

2026 Physician and Hospital Quality Certification

The updates proposed to NCQA’s 2026 Physician and Hospital Quality Certification program during this public comment period seek to refresh the product by:

  • Updating scoring to Met, Partially Met and Not Met options for each element.
  • Retiring Program Change Reviews to alleviate the burden of submitting documentation between survey cycles.
  • Updating and expanding the list of acceptable standardized sources and Performance-Based Designation Programs for PQ 1, Element A.
  • Retiring file review element PQ 3, Element D, because organizations often do not have consumer complaints about physician measurement activities.

Documents

2026 Health Equity Accreditation

The updates proposed to NCQA’s 2026 Health Equity Accreditation program during this public comment period seek to:

  • Add new elements that reflect industry priorities, challenges and needs. New requirements span:
    • Disability.
    • Geographic classification.
    • Community Health Workers.
    • Advanced data analytics.
  • Revise, retire or replace existing requirements to:  
    • Align with emerging best practices. 
    • Adapt to the evolving policy environment.  
    • Provide flexibility.  
    • Better reflect the operations and experience of care delivery organizations.
    • Improve program surveyability and clarity.  

Your feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of this program and help us ensure the program aligns with changing needs, challenges and regulatory requirements of the health care landscape, and to assist a variety of stakeholders in their pursuit of quality care.

Documents

Refer to the following documents for the full standards and guidelines proposed for 2026 Health Equity Accreditation program surveys: 

Refer to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation: Summary of Questions for Public Comment for the full list of questions for respondents to address during this public comment period.  

Refer to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation: Summary of Proposed Standards Updates, which provides a detailed summary of proposed updates across the Health Equity and Health Equity Plus milestone standards, as well as rationales and targeted questions.  

2026 Health Plan Accreditation

To align with the proposed updates to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation, NCQA proposed updates to Health Plan Accreditation in the following areas:

  • QI 1: Program Structure and Operations
  • PHM 1: PHM Strategy
  • PHM 3: Delivery System Supports

Documents

2026 Behavioral Health Accreditation (formerly MBHO Accreditation)

To align with the proposed updates to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation, NCQA proposed updates to 2026 Behavioral Health Accreditation in the following area:

  • QI 1: Program Structure and Operations

Documents

2026 Distinction in Long-Term Services and Supports

To align with the proposed updates to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation, NCQA proposed updates to 2026 Distinction in Long-Term Services and Supports in the following area:

  • LTSS 1: Core Features

Documents

2026 Accreditation of Case Management for LTSS

To align with the proposed updates to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation, NCQA proposed updates to 2026 Accreditation of Case Management for LTSS in the following areas:

  • LTSS 1: Program Description
  • LTSS 6: Staffing, Training and Verification

Documents

2026 Wellness and Health Promotion Accreditation/Certification

To align with the proposed updates to 2026 Health Equity Accreditation, NCQA proposed updates to 2026 Wellness and Health Promotion Accreditation/Certification in the following area:

  • WHP 1: Client Organization Engagement

Documents

Reviewers are asked to submit comments by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday, September 5, 2025. Visit My NCQA to submit comments.

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