Annual Documentation Reminder

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Published January 2026

Annual Documentation Reminder

Each January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) resets all Risk Adjustment scores to zero. Risk Adjustment scores are numerical values reflecting each patient’s anticipated annual health care needs based on overall health conditions. These scores serve as important indicators for providers and health care organizations, guiding resource allocation according to patients’ expected level of care.

Providers play a critical role in the annual recapture and documentation of chronic conditions through complete up-to-date patient profiles. This ongoing attention to detail is essential for supporting effective care coordination.

At every face-to-face patient encounter, providers should ensure current and relevant diagnoses are clearly documented. Clinical notes should be able to stand alone with concise supporting details for each condition addressed during the visit. Include cause-and-effect relationships, complications, and associated manifestations for each patient’s disease burden. Always document the highest known level of specificity at the time of service for each diagnosis.

 

Documentation for each diagnosis may be supported through MEAT criteria:

Monitor Ongoing tracking, e.g., blood pressure readings;
Evaluate Clinical review, e.g., diagnostic or imaging results
Assess Clinical judgment, e.g., severity or level of control
Treat Current therapy, e.g., medication or referral

 

Refer to the 2026 ICD-10-CM coding manual for comprehensive documentation requirements. This resource includes complete coding guidelines to ensure documentation remains compliant with regulatory standards.

If you have any questions, please contact:

MVP Process Updates

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