Physician lawmakers introduce bill to replace MIPS

Two physician members of Congress have introduced legislation that would replace the Merit-based Incentive Payment System with a new Medicare physician performance payment model.

Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD, R-Iowa, and Herb Conaway Jr., MD, D-NJ, introduced the Medicare Physician Data-driven Performance Payment System Act of 2026 on April 30. The bill would establish the Data-driven Performance Payment System, or DPPS, effective January 1, 2027.

MIPS was created under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 and is used to adjust Medicare physician payments based on performance. The American Medical Association said the program has been “riddled with problems” since its creation and has imposed steep penalties and burdensome reporting requirements on physicians.

The proposed DPPS framework would change how performance adjustments are applied, reduce excessive penalties, provide quarterly performance feedback, increase transparency around cost attribution, and protect physicians from penalties when data are insufficient, according to bill summaries and medical society statements.

Miller-Meeks said Medicare’s current payment system has placed unnecessary burdens on physicians and has not always reflected the realities of patient care.

“As a physician, I’ve seen how MIPS creates excessive red tape, disproportionately impacts small and rural practices, and does not always capture the quality of care being delivered,” Miller-Meeks said.

Medical groups have backed the proposal. The Medical Group Management Association said the bill would eliminate the “tournament-style model,” freeze the performance threshold, and provide timely performance feedback from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The American Medical Association also supports the legislation. AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said MIPS has created administrative strain, especially for private practices, and that devoting time to tasks that do not improve patient health while still facing penalties is contributing to practice closures.

Specialty groups have also endorsed the proposal. ASTRO said it supports the Medicare Physician Data-driven Performance Payment System Act of 2026, identified as H.R. 8622, and noted that the bill was introduced April 30 by Miller-Meeks and Conaway.

The measure has also drawn support from radiology-related organizations, according to the congressional announcement, including the American College of Radiology, American Society of Neuroradiology, Association of Academic Radiology, Society of Interventional Radiology, and American Society for Radiation Oncology.

For radiology practices, the proposal matters because MIPS reporting often intersects with quality measures, cost attribution, registry participation, and Medicare payment adjustments. Smaller and independent practices may be especially sensitive to compliance costs and penalty risk.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Ways and Means on April 30, according to congressional bill tracking.