The CMS Innovation Center Announces a New Payment Option for Technology-Supported Care

In December 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced a new payment model called ACCESS, which stands for Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions. ACCESS uses outcome-aligned payments, which are a recurring payment for managing a patient’s qualifying condition, with payments tied to achieving measurable health outcomes. The ACCESS model is designed to work alongside the Health Tech Ecosystem initiative and aims to expand access to technology-supported care for people with chronic conditions. The model focuses on conditions affecting more than two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries, including hypertension, diabetes, musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety.

To participate, organizations must be Medicare Part B–enrolled providers and suppliers (excluding Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies, and laboratory suppliers). Participants must also designate a Medicare-enrolled Medical Director to oversee care quality and compliance. ACCESS will begin on July 5, 2026, and run through June 30, 2036. CMS will accept applications from interested health care organizations on a rolling basis, beginning January 2026 through 2033.