Medicare Quality Payment Program

The Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP) is a U.S. initiative that aims to improve healthcare quality for Medicare beneficiaries. It rewards healthcare providers—like doctors and hospitals—based on how well they care for patients, rather than just the number of services they provide. The program has two tracks: the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Providers are assessed on their performance in areas such as patient outcomes, care coordination, and utilization of technology, which can lead to financial incentives or penalties depending on their performance scores.