CMS Launches ACCESS Model for Tech-Enabled Chronic Care in Medicare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center has introduced the ACCESS model, a 10-year initiative launching on July 1, 2026, aimed at enhancing chronic care management for nearly two-thirds of Original Medicare enrollees. ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) targets early cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions, established chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal pain, and behavioral health issues like depression and anxiety. The model features an outcome-aligned payment system rewarding providers for measurable clinical improvements, such as blood pressure reductions in hypertensive patients, and allows more flexibility for clinicians to use digital tools in care delivery. Participating Medicare-enrolled organizations must comply with Medicare Part B enrollment, licensure, HIPAA, and FDA requirements, and designate a physician clinical director responsible for quality oversight. CMS will provide public transparency by listing ACCESS organizations, treated conditions, and performance outcomes, including risk-adjusted metrics to aid patient decision-making. This initiative complements broader federal efforts to modernize healthcare data infrastructure, including developing a national healthcare directory and enhancing interoperability with secure data exchange, digital therapeutics, and telehealth services. ACCESS reflects CMS's strategy to integrate technology-enabled care into chronic disease management, fostering collaboration between primary care physicians and digital health providers to improve patient outcomes outside traditional clinical environments.