About this Learning Activity

Your Guide to NCQA's Health Outcomes and Community-Focused Care Accreditation Programs: Standards Year 2026

In this self‑paced course, learners gain practical insight into required evidence, effective navigation of the standards, and strategies for avoiding common pitfalls during the NCQA survey process. 

The course also highlights how the Health Outcomes and Community‑Focused Care programs complement one another, offering a unified framework for understanding—and acting on—the interrelated factors that affect members’ and patients’ ability to achieve optimal health and access care that meets their needs.

What You Will Learn

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the structure, intent, and key requirements of the 2026 NCQA Health Outcomes and Community-Focused Care Accreditation standards. 
• Identify the types of evidence and documentation NCQA reviews during a survey, including common documentation challenges and pitfalls. 
• Explain how Health Outcomes and Community-Focused Care programs align to provide a complimentary framework for improving outcomes and access to care.                                                                                                                                                                         

Who Should Attend

• Clinical quality leaders including nursing, medical management, utilization management, and care management.
• Data, analytics, and performance improvement professionals supporting measurement, reporting, and improvement efforts. 
• Staff responsible for addressing social needs, population health initiatives, or member support programs. 
• Community partnership, care coordination, and population health teams working across organizations or sectors. 
•        Senior leaders and executives seeking a high‑level understanding of how Health Outcomes and Community‑Focused Care programs align and support organizational goal.

Continuing Education

This is a non AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM, ANA CNE, ACPE activity.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) endorses the Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education which specify that sponsors of continuing medical education activities and presenters at and planners for these activities disclose any relevant financial relationships either party might have with commercial companies whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations.

For sponsors, relevant financial relationships include large research grants, institutional agreements for joint initiatives, substantial gifts, or other relationships that benefit the institution.  For presenters or planning committee members, relevant financial relationships include the receipt of research grants from a commercial company, consultancies, honoraria, travel, or other benefits, or having a self-managed equity interest in a company; or having an immediate family member or partner with such a relationship.

Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Relevant financial relationships exist with the following companies/organizations:

Additional Planning Committee Members:
Cathy Beckner: None
Candice Costello: None
Crissy Crittenden: None
Felicia Khaalid: None
Joel Nellis: None
Elizabeth Ryder: None
Davina Smalls: None
Hannah Yousefian: None 

This program was developed by NCQA staff.

This program received no commercial support.