MQii is thrilled to share that CMS has taken its most significant step yet in elevating high-quality nutrition care as a national hospital priority. In the FY 2027 IPPS Final Rule, published on July 31, 2026, CMS finalized: 

• The MCS as a required measure beginning with performance year 2028 / fiscal year 2030. This makes the MCS the first mandated nutrition quality measure in any CMS program, ensuring that all acute care hospitals participating in the Inpatient Quality Reporting program report the measure and that every hospitalized adult has the opportunity to be screened for malnutrition risk and receive appropriate, evidence-based care.  

• The addition of the MCS to the PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital (PCH) Quality Reporting Program, expanding the measure into an entirely new care setting. As cancer patients face an especially high risk of malnutrition due to the nature of their diagnoses and treatments, this is a meaningful development toward ensuring that the nation’s leading cancer hospitals are identifying and addressing malnutrition care among their patients. 

This is a defining moment in the journey of the MCS, which has made substantial progress since its initial conception in 2013. From its voluntary implementation into the IQR program in 2024 and subsequent expansion to patients aged 18 years and older in 2025, to its adoption as a mandatory measure across all acute care hospitals and PCHs, this progress would not have been possible without the dedication of MQii hospital partners who tested the measure, contributed performance data, and helped build the evidence base required for CMS adoption. 

We are grateful to everyone who submitted supportive comments to CMS during the open comment period. With the release of the FY 2027 IPPS Final Rule, MQii looks forward to supporting hospitals and cancer hospitals as implementation begins. Whether your organization is establishing new malnutrition care programs and processes or reporting the MCS for the first time, we encourage you to explore the MQii Toolkit, which provides practical resources, implementation guidance, and best practices to support successful adoption and sustained quality improvement.  

We would also like to thank the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Avalere Health, Abbott Nutrition, and the many key stakeholders who provided guidance and expertise through this collaborative partnership.  This collective effort has helped bring nutrition quality measurement to the forefront of national hospital quality policy. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to improving nutrition care and patient outcomes!