MQii is pleased to share that CMS continues to demonstrate its commitment to nutrition and preventive care with several proposals in the FY2027 inpatient prospective payment system elevating the role of nutrition care in hospitals.  This includes a proposal to make the Malnutrition Care Score (MCS) a mandatory measure beginning in performance year 2028 / fiscal year 2030 and to add the MCS to the PPS-exempt Cancer Hospital (PCH) quality reporting program.

This is a major milestone for the MCS (formerly the Global Malnutrition Composite Score, or GMCS), the development of which would not have been possible without the MQii member hospitals who tested the measure in their facilities, provided feedback, and submitted performance data to support the reliability and validity assessment required for use in a CMS program.  The identification of malnutrition in the hospital is a critical opportunity to ensure individuals at risk for malnutrition-related poor health outcomes receive evidence-based care interventions.  Now, thanks to MQii member hospitals and to the many others who have supported the MCS over the years, there is the potential for the measure’s use to extend to all acute care hospitals nationwide, improving nutrition care quality and the likelihood that all hospitalized adults will be screened for malnutrition and receive appropriate care.

We strongly encourage our member hospitals and the nutrition quality improvement community more broadly to submit comments to CMS thanking them for their prioritization of nutrition and supporting these MCS-related proposals.  Your comments can make a difference in whether the MCS becomes the first required nutrition quality measure for a CMS program.

The Proposed Rule can be reviewed at the Federal Register, with the comment period open through June 9, 2026.  Comments do not need to be lengthy or formal – we recommend a format of:

• Stating your role and/or connection to malnutrition
• Thanking CMS for their proposals
• Explaining why you believe these proposals are good for patients
• Optional: Providing examples of patient stories, improved outcomes, or other relevant information from your experience

Please reach out to the team at MQii with any questions, and thank you for your continued commitment to improving patient care!