On December 1, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center announced the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model. This voluntary, 10-year model set to begin on July 1, 2026, is intended to evaluate whether recurring “Outcome-Aligned Payments” for managing patients’ qualifying conditions lead to improved clinical outcomes or better control of those conditions. Organizations that are Medicare Part B–enrolled providers or suppliers, excluding Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) and laboratory suppliers, are eligible to participate in the Model.
Through the ACCESS Model, CMS intends to expand clinicians’ ability to offer technology-supported care that improve patients’ health while complementing traditional approaches to care. Initially, the Model will focus on the following four clinical tracks and included chronic conditions:
- Early cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions including hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity or overweight with marker of central obesity, and prediabetes;
- Cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions including diabetes, chronic kidney disease (3a or 3b), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including heart disease;
- Musculoskeletal conditions including chronic musculoskeletal pain; and
- Behavioral health conditions including depression and anxiety.
The ACCESS Model Request for Applications will released soon, with applications due by April 1, 2026.
Additional information can be found here.