Adult Core Set Resources
- 2026 Adult Core Set (Reporting Fall 2026)
- 2025 Adult Core Set (Reporting Fall 2025)
- 2024 Adult Core Set (Reporting Fall 2024)
- Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults Enrolled in Medicaid
- Core Set Data Dashboard
- State Reporting Resources & Technical Assistance
- Adult Medicaid Quality Measurement Program
- Annual Core Set Updates
- Related Initiatives
The Adult Core Set consists of a range of standardized quality measures that assess various aspects of both physical and mental health care for adults.
The Adult Core Set is updated annually, in compliance with section 1139B of the Social Security Act. The Core Set Annual Review Workgroup reviews the Adult Core Set and identifies ways to improve it, using the annual review and selection process. A draft report from the workgroup meeting is made available for public comment. A final report, including the workgroup recommendations and public comments is then provided to CMS. CMS issues an annual update to the Adult Core Set based on the workgroup recommendations. The Core Set History table and Historical Policy Guidance documents provide a history of the updates to the measures included in the Child and Adult Core Sets.
Reporting of the behavioral health measures on the Adult Core Set became mandatory for states in 2024. CMS' August 2023, final rule outlines the requirements for annual mandatory reporting. Annual state reporting of the Core Set typically takes place in the Fall. CMS releases data for Core Set measures that are reported by at least 25 states and meet CMS standards for data quality.
2026 Adult Core Set
The 2026 Child and Adult Core Sets were released in a December 2024 State Health Official (SHO) Letter. Reporting on the 2026 Adult Core Set, for services primarily provided during 2025, will take place in Fall 2026.
The Annual Workgroup for the 2026 Core Sets took place in February 2024. The recommendations and public comments are found in the 2026 Final Report.
2025 Adult Core Set
The 2025 Child and Adult Core Sets were released in a May 2024 State Health Official Letter, which also provided details on mandatory reporting. Reporting on the 2025 Adult Core Set will occur in Fall 2025.
The Annual Workgroup for the 2025 Core Sets took place in April 2023. The recommendations and public comments are found in the 2025 Final Report.
2024 Adult Core Set
The 2024 Child and Adult Core Sets were released in a November 2022 CMCS Informational Bulletin (CIB). Reporting on the 2024 Adult Core Set, for services primarily provided during 2023, took place in Fall 2024.
The Annual Workgroup for the 2024 Core Sets took place in April 2022. The recommendations and public comments are found in the 2023 and 2024 Final Report.
Adult Core Set Data – Reflecting Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
CMS annually releases information on the Adult Core Set measures that are reported by at least 25 states and met CMS standards for data quality. The Core Set year represents the year that data is reported to CMS, the data generally represents care delivered the prior year. Information about performance on frequently reported health care quality measures in the Adult Core Set is provided below and on the Core Set Data Dashboard. In addition state-specific quality information can also be viewed in the Quality of Care section of the State Medicaid & CHIP Profiles web page.
- 2023 Annual Core Set Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for 2023 Child and Adult Core Sets Reporting (September 2024)
- Core Set Data Dashboard (January 2025)
- Criteria for Using the 2023 Child and Adult Core Set Measures to Assess Trends in State Performance in Medicaid and CHIP (September 2024)
- 2023 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (December 2024)
- Trends in State Performance: 2021 to 2023 Child and Adult Core Sets Chart Pack (December 2024)
- 2023 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (September 2024)
- 2023 Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (September 2024)
- 2022 Annual Core Set Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2022 (September 2023)
- 2022 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (January 2024)
- 2022 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (September 2023)
- 2022 Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (September 2023)
- 2021 Annual Core Set Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2021 (September 2023)
- 2021 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (January 2024)
- 2021 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (September 2023)
- 2021 Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (September 2023)
- 2020 Annual Core Set Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2020 (September 2021)
- 2020 Criteria for Using the Child and Adult Core Set Measures to Assess Trends in State Performance in Medicaid and CHIP (September 2021)
- 2020 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (January 2022)
- 2020 Behavioral Health Core Set Chart Pack (January 2022)
- 2020 Maternity Core Set Chart Pack (November 2021)
- 2020 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (September 2021)
- Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (September 2021)
- 2019 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2019 (September 2020)
- 2019 Criteria for Using the Child and Adult Core Set Measures to Assess Trends in State Performance in Medicaid and CHIP (September 2020)
- 2019 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (October 2020)
- 2019 Behavioral Health Core Set Chart Pack (February 2021)
- 2019 Maternity Core Set Chart Pack (December 2020)
- 2019 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (October 2020)
- Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (October 2020)
- 2018 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2018 (September 2019)
- 2018 Criteria for Using the Child and Adult Core Set Measures to Assess Trends in State Performance in Medicaid and CHIP (November 2019)
- 2018 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (September 2019)
- 2018 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (April 2020)
- 2018 Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (September 2019)
- 2017 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- Fact Sheet for the Child and Adult Core Set Reporting for 2017 (December 2018)
- 2017 Adult Core Set Chart Pack (December 2018)
- 2017 Measure Performance Tables on the Adult Core Set Measures (December 2018)
- 2017 Adult Health Quality Measures Dataset (December 2018)
- 2016 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- 2015 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- 2014 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Care for Adults in Medicaid
- 2013 Annual Reporting on the Quality of Health Care for Adults Enrolled in Medicaid
- Overview of the Adult Core Set Measures 2013
- Benchmarks for Medicaid Adult Health Care Quality Measures (November 2014)
- Findings from EQR Reports Submitted During the 2013-2014 Reporting Cycle
Adult Medicaid Quality Measurement Program
By January 1, 2013, a Medicaid Quality Measurement Program will be established to fund the development, testing, and validation of emerging and innovative evidence-based adult health quality measures. As specified in the legislation, this program is to be established in the same manner as the Pediatric Quality Measures Program.