- CMS has opened submissions for QualTech, a new healthcare technology event
- Up to eight finalists will present at CMS Headquarters in November
- The 2026 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 3 will explore AI and other modernization priorities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, through its Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, has launched QualTech, an industry event seeking technology capabilities that could help address key healthcare quality priorities.
As health systems work to close longstanding gaps between data collection and actionable quality insights, federal agencies are increasingly turning to outside innovators for new approaches. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 3 will examine how artificial intelligence, digital modernization, data interoperability and other priorities are shaping the future of federal healthcare programs. Book your spot now to join the conversation.
CMS said the event is designed to surface market-ready capabilities that can improve patient outcomes, reduce administrative burden and expand the use of technology across CMS quality programs.
What Are the QualTech Opportunity Areas?
CMS has identified four priority areas for QualTech submissions:
- AI-assisted quality and patient safety review: Solutions that use AI to help identify documentation gaps and emerging patient safety risks in medical records, supporting both CMS surveyors and providers ahead of formal surveys
- Annual wellness visit support: Tools that apply clinical AI to streamline health risk assessments and care plan development, with the goal of increasing the share of Medicare beneficiaries who complete annual wellness visits
- Next-generation digital quality measure calculator: A scalable calculation platform built to support CMS’ roughly 70 digital quality measures and reduce the technical burden on providers and facilities
- National quality hospital dashboard: An interactive tool that aggregates hospital quality data to allow comparisons across regions and populations, drawing on programs such as Inpatient Quality Reporting and Hospital Value-Based Purchasing
Submissions must align with one of the four areas and be submitted as a white paper by Sept. 4.
What Are the Key Dates for QualTech?
CMS has outlined a set timeline for the event:
- Sept. 4: Phase 1 submission deadline
- Oct. 13: Phase 2 finalist notification
- Oct. 19: Finalist attendee information due
- Nov. 9: QualTech Event at CMS headquarters in Baltimore
What Happens During Phase 2 of QualTech?
CMS will select up to eight finalists to advance to Phase 2 following review of Phase 1 submissions. Finalists will be notified by Oct. 13, and will be invited to the QualTech Event at CMS headquarters in Baltimore on Nov. 9.
During the event, each finalist may bring up to five representatives to present their proposed solution to CMS and CCSQ leadership, subject matter experts and invited stakeholders. Presentations are limited to 15 minutes, and presentation order will be set by random drawing. CMS noted the event is not tied to a funding opportunity or procurement action, and participation does not guarantee future business with the agency.
How Will Submissions Be Evaluated?
CMS will assess Phase 1 submissions against five published criteria:
- Relevance and impact: Alignment with a QualTech opportunity area and potential to address a meaningful quality challenge
- Innovation and technical merit: Use of emerging technologies or technically sound modernization approaches
- Feasibility and implementation potential: Realistic path to deployment, including technical and operational readiness
- Scalability and broader applicability: Potential for the solution to expand across CCSQ, CMS or other quality programs
- Clarity and quality of submission: Overall organization and clarity in communicating the proposed solution and its value
How Does QualTech Advance CMS’ Efforts to Modernize Healthcare Through Tech?
CMS’ sponsorship of QualTech builds on a series of recent efforts to bring industry innovation into its quality and modernization agenda. The agency has already seen results from emerging technology, with CMS Deputy Administrator Kim Brandt noting that AI has helped the agency save $2 billion by strengthening fraud detection and contract oversight. CMS has also engaged private sector companies directly at a White House event, where more than 60 companies pledged to deliver patient-centered technologies, such as digital identity tools and AI-enabled scheduling assistants.
On the acquisition front, CMS has moved to bring more industry partners into its research and analytical support base, awarding 17 companies positions on the third iteration of its RMADA contract vehicle supporting Medicare, Medicaid and ACA-related initiatives. These efforts align with a parallel push from the Department of Health and Human Services, which has proposed the HTI-5 rule to reduce health IT certification burdens and advance AI-enabled interoperability across the healthcare system.
The modernization push also comes amid leadership changes at the agency, with President Donald Trump nominating Chris Klomp, CMS deputy administrator and director of Medicare, to serve as HHS deputy secretary.
