Current conversion factor — Q4 2026 release
- Standard (non-QP)
- $33.4009
- Qualifying APM participant (QP)
- $33.5675
From the Q4 2026 PFS release as CMS published it, in dollars per geographically adjusted RVU.
Why there are two conversion factors now Copy link
MACRA, the 2015 law behind the Quality Payment Program, set two different annual conversion-factor updates starting in CY2026: 0.75% for QPs and 0.25% for everyone else. The difference is built into the PFS formula itself rather than paid as a separate bonus: QPs get a higher conversion factor, non-QPs a lower one, applied to the exact same RVUs.
What changes and what does not Copy link
A code's work, practice expense, and malpractice RVUs, and its GPCIs, are identical for QP and non-QP clinicians. Only the conversion factor differs. A rate lookup that ignores QP status quietly uses one of the two, which misstates the amount for every clinician the other one applies to. The difference is small, but it is not a rounding error.
Finding out which one applies to you Copy link
QP status is determined for each clinician (by NPI) from Advanced APM participation thresholds measured in an earlier period, so a fee-schedule lookup can't infer it from a code or a locality. If your APM's participation notice doesn't tell you, the answer has to come from CMS or your APM, not the RVU files.
How this site handles it Copy link
Every rate lookup here uses the standard (non-QP) conversion factor unless you choose the QP one. Both figures show the release they came from, and we never blend them into a single guessed average.
Frequently asked Copy link
Is the QP conversion factor always higher?
Yes. For CY2026 the qualifying-APM-participant (QP) conversion factor is higher than the standard (non-QP) one. Both apply to the same RVUs, so the QP figure produces a higher amount for the same code.
Do I have to tell a rate lookup my QP status?
Yes. It can't be inferred from the code, locality, or setting. A lookup that doesn't ask defaults to the standard (non-QP) conversion factor.
Does the QP/non-QP split affect the GPCIs or RVUs?
No. Only the final conversion-factor multiplier differs; the RVU components and geographic adjustments are the same for both.
Sources Copy link
Written from primary CMS sources—see how we source, compute, and verify everything on this site.
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