CMS expands program paying for digital chronic care
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is broadening its ACCESS program to include heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, substance use disorders, and tobacco cessation.
Launched two months ago, the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) model pays healthcare organizations monthly for using digital technologies to manage chronic conditions and improve patient health outcomes.
The program originally focused on cardio-metabolic, musculoskeletal, and behavioral health, and will now cover conditions affecting approximately three out of four people with Medicare. More than 160 companies have joined ACCESS, many of them new to working with Medicare patients. These participants include telehealth providers, the meditation app Headspace, the AI chatbot Welldoc, and the wearable technology firm Whoop.
CMS is also coordinating with the Food and Drug Administration through a related program called TEMPO, allowing some digital health devices without full FDA authorization to gather data within the ACCESS framework. The CMS anticipates the ACCESS model will run for 10 years. Several payers representing Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and private insurance, including Blue Shield of California, Cigna, CVS Health, and UnitedHealthcare, have committed to using a similar payment structure. CMS Administrator Dr.
Mehmet Oz stated the programs aim to streamline government support for new health technologies.
