NCQA Releases HEDIS® MY 2026 Volume 2 Technical Update

On March 31, NCQA released the HEDIS^® MY 2026 Volume 2: Technical Update (Technical Update), which provides comprehensive guidance for organizations reporting HEDIS. With this release, the HEDIS Volume 2: Technical Specifications are “frozen” for MY 2026.

Why is the HEDIS Technical Update Important?

HEDIS is a set of standardized performance measures that enable consumers, purchasers and policymakers to compare the performance of healthcare organizations. NCQA publishes HEDIS Volume 2 in August of the year prior to each measurement year. The Technical Update helps ensure that:

• Organizations have access to the most up-to-date technical guidance needed to implement HEDIS measures accurately and consistently.
• Coding resources, such as value sets and medication lists, are up to date.
• Any necessary changes are made in response to the evolving healthcare and policy environment.

The Technical Update was sent to all purchasers of the HEDIS MY 2026 Volume 2: Technical Specifications, and a release letter was posted to the HEDIS website on March 31.

What Is Included in the Technical Update?

The Technical Update includes:

• A re-released full-text HEDIS MY 2026 Volume 2 publication with edits in red text.
• Updated HEDIS MY 2026 Medication List Directory.
• Updated HEDIS MY 2026 Value Set Directory.
• HEDIS MY 2026 Risk Adjustment Tables.
• HEDIS MY 2026 Audit Timeline.

NCQA released four new measure-specific risk adjustment tables for MY 2026 and updated the shared risk-adjusted table. Read our blog, HEDIS Risk-Adjusted Utilization Tables: New Measures, Shared Table Updates and FAQs, for more information regarding these changes.

Changes in the Technical Update

Below are some highlights included in the Technical Update; this is not an exhaustive list.

Social Need Screening and Intervention (SNS-E)

• Removed ICD-10 diagnosis codes from the intervention denominators.

Rationale: ICD‑10 diagnosis codes can no longer be reliably linked to documented social determinants of health (SDOH) assessments. The measure will continue to rely on LOINC codes to capture standardized screenings and positive screening results.

• Removed SDOH assessment G codes from the screening numerators.

Rationale: HCPCS G0136 no longer aligns with SDOH screening activities included in the measure following the change in the CY 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

• Added a Food Insecurity Screening Item Response Exception for the PRAPARE^® tool.

Rationale: Clarified that because of the structure of screening item LOINC 93031-3, a null result is considered a valid response to this question.

Read our blog, Social Need Screening and Intervention: What’s Changing in the MY 2026 Technical Update, for more details about these changes.

Tobacco Use Screening and Cessation Intervention (TSC-E)

• Updated the age criteria to identify the person’s age as of 180 days prior to the measurement period.

Rationale: Updated the measure to align with current age criteria for FDA-approved tobacco cessation medications.

Race and Ethnicity Stratification

• Updated references from “Some Other Race” to “Other Race” in the Race and Ethnicity Stratification general guideline and in each applicable measure specification.

Rationale: Updated to align with the U.S. Core Version 6.1.0 Model Definitions.

Learn More

If you have not  already purchased the HEDIS MY 2026 Volume 2: Technical Specifications, you can order the publication in the NCQA Store and you will automatically receive the Technical Update with your purchase.

Join the HEDIS Users Group to get timely guidance, expert clarifications and practical support directly from NCQA. You will gain access to exclusive webinars, resources and a collaborative community designed to help you confidently navigate HEDIS updates and reporting throughout the year. Visit our website to learn more.

HEDIS^® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

PREPARE^® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).