Medicare Initiative Expands Technology-Assisted Chronic Care Management

Over 150 organizations have gained preliminary approval to join a groundbreaking Medicare initiative aimed at expanding technology-assisted chronic care management. The initiative will allocate fixed payments to participants, including developers of mental health applications and wearable technology producers, as well as a life sciences company partnered with Google. This program targets chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, musculoskeletal pain, anxiety, and depression. It's estimated that 70% of Medicare beneficiaries could qualify, spurring considerable interest among companies. A decade-long experimental period will assess whether the initiative can cut Medicare costs while sustaining or enhancing care quality.