AASM staff attended the 2026 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference, #QualCon26, on March 16–17. The conference’s theme was “MAHA: Innovating Together for Better Health.”

CMS Priority Themes

CMS highlighted several priority areas during the conference, including:

  • Preventive care
  • Value-based care
  • Innovation, data, and digital transformation
  • Collaboration across the health care ecosystem
  • Improving patient safety and care quality

AASM Participation

AASM staff participated in breakout sessions and emphasized the importance of sleep health as a key component of overall patient well-being. Staff also engaged with attendees from other organizations to exchange insights on quality improvement and care delivery.

Notable Conference Sessions

“Accelerating Prevention Through Performance Measurement: National Leaders Explore Opportunities in AI, Methods, and New Data Streams”

  • CMS and national experts are advancing prevention through enhanced measurement approaches, AI-driven insights, and new data sources, emphasizing the need to move beyond traditional quality measures.
  • This advancement could support earlier detection of sleep disorders, more precise risk stratification, and personalized data-driven treatment planning.

“The Evolution of MIPS, Value-based Care and Alignment Across CMS”

  • Presenters reviewed the evolution of value-based care, highlighting innovations in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), Value Pathways (MVPs), the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and advanced payment models. It also emphasized alignment across Medicare programs, the shift to digital measures, and efforts by CMS to expand participation in advanced models.
  • Implementation of digital measures and advanced payment models could help track sleep-related outcomes more effectively, streamline reporting, and position practices for incentive payments while demonstrating value in managing co-morbid conditions linked to sleep disorders.

“Leveraging AI to Improve Patient Safety”

  • Speakers highlighted how AI supports clinicians and reduces harm through real-world applications in clinical decision-making, safety systems, and risk identification, along with key considerations for implementing human-centered solutions.
  • This approach could enhance diagnostic accuracy for conditions and support earlier intervention.

“Reimagining Prior Authorization: From Barriers to Better Outcomes”

  • Panelists discussed how the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies are collaborating to modernize prior authorization, reduce administrative burden, and minimize low-value care. They also discussed leveraging streamlined processes and the WISeR model to enhance workflows and measure meaningful outcomes.
  • These efforts may support more efficient workflows and enable practices to better track meaningful outcomes, such as treatment adherence and improvements in sleep-related health conditions.

Keynote Address

The keynote address by Tony Robbins offered actionable strategies to address burnout and underscored the importance of cultivating both physical and mental resilience.

Learn More

Members with questions about the 2026 CMS Quality Conference may contact quality@aasm.org. We look forward to #QualCon27!