QHIN Technical Framework V2.1 Posted for Review, Responses Due November 7. The Qualified Health Information Network® (QHIN™) Technical Framework (QTF) v2.1 is available for review on the TEFCA Topics in Change Management webpage. Comments on the draft QTF are being accepted until November 7. The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™) Topics in Change Management webpage is maintained by the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, Sequoia Project (the Recognized Coordinating Entity), and TEFCA™ governance bodies and provides transparency on revisions to the Framework Agreements, technical requirements, and standard operating procedures in the change management process.
2026 MIPS Payment Adjustment Information Available. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2026 payment adjustment information, based on calculations from data submitted during the 2024 performance year, is available for review. CMS uses the 2024 final score to determine the 2026 MIPS payment adjustment. Participants of the program can sign in to review their performance feedback and final score. The deadline for requests for a targeted review is November 14. (CMS notes that requests can be submitted during the federal government shutdown, but responses may be delayed.) Resources on the MIPS program, including FAQs and user guides, are available here.
CMS Names Dan Brillman to Lead Center for Medicaid and CHIP. According to reports, Dan Brillman has been named deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Services (CHIP) at CMS. Brillman is the co-founder and former CEO of Unite Us, which provides software and data infrastructure for coordinating health care and social service needs. Brillman replaces Caprice Knapp who has been serving as the acting director since June.
Senate Introduces Bill to Allow Telehealth for Substance Use Disorder Treatment. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced S.3048 titled “Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act” or “TREATS Act.” The bipartisan bill, with 20 co-sponsors, calls for an amendment to the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. If enacted, the bill would allow telehealth evaluations of patients undergoing substance use disorder treatment and define the term “telehealth evaluation.” The bill has been referred to the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for further consideration.
CISA Issues Advisory on Security Issues with Hospital Manager Backend Services. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory for two vulnerabilities with Vertikal Systems Hospital Manager Backend Services, including the potential exposure of sensitive system information and generation of messages containing sensitive information. Although there have been no reports of attacks to date, an unauthorized user could use the system weaknesses to gain access to and disclose sensitive information. Fixes to affected systems were applied on September 19, 2025. CISA recommends users of these systems take steps to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities and encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for industrial control systems.
CISA Alerts Users to Microsoft Out-of-Band Security Update. CISA released an alert for users to address a critical remote code execution vulnerability in of Microsoft’s Windows Server Update Service (WSUS). CISA urges organizations to implement the WSUS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability guidance to prevent an unauthenticated user from achieving remote code execution with system privileges. Organizations with affected products should identify servers that are vulnerable to exploitation, install the out-of-band security update, and reboot WSUS servers after installation. CISA also recommends that potentially affected organizations monitor and vet and suspicious activity or signs of threat activity on their networks.
Survey Finds Ongoing Challenges/AI Opportunities in Provider Revenue Cycle Management. Results from a Revenue Cycle Management Survey conducted by Smarter Technologies in partnership with MedCity News suggests providers continue to struggle with delays and inefficiencies in their billing and payment systems leading to increasing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The results come from a survey of 125 billing personnel in medical practices and hospitals of varying sizes. Challenges to revenue flow identified in the survey include prior authorization denials averaging 6-9%, 6–8-week delays in receiving payment, as reported by almost half of the respondents, and spending an average of 2-10% the value of a claim to collect payment. The top billing software challenges reported were high costs, coding errors, and complexities. Almost all respondents identified some interest in AI solutions to automate and reduce the burden of current systems and processes.