CMS to add more chronic conditions to ACCESS model in 2027
The ACCESS model, or Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable, Solutions, is a voluntary plan aimed at encouraging tech companies and Medicare enrollees to manage and improve chronic conditions. With this model, the health tech companies are incentivized to utilize their technology to help patients’ manage their chronic conditions. Companies will receive recurring monthly payments based on enrollees' improved healthcare metrics in relation to chronic condition(s). One goal of this program is to help reduce chronic disease in America. While some companies express concern that the model’s funding strategy will not be sufficient to support technology backed care, companies like Veerily and Whoop have already joined this model. I think this is a very interesting and possibly promising proposition, but I still have some reservations. One opportunity I see with this program is the expansion of existing and new technology into ways that can also serve the everyday population, not just those on Medicare.
With this model, companies would receive recurring payments with improved healthcare metrics in relation to the chronic condition(s).
I think it is great to incentivize improvements in health. However, management of chronic conditions can be very difficult and vary person to person. Sometimes things will get worse before they get better or stay stagnant before change happens. Is there a system in place that takes this into account? It would be discouraging to see innovation that could help many people stall because of a lack of oversight.
The 10-year voluntary model launched on July 5 with tracks for four chronic conditions: hypertension, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression.
Very prevalent and important conditions that affect a large proportion of Americans
Under the model, participating organizations will get recurring payments for using health technologies to manage chronic conditions. The model is consistent with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s oft-cited goal of reducing chronic disease in America.
One of the biggest strengths of this model is for companies to use this opportunity to further develop and understand their technology to improve healthcare outcomes for everyone
Despite concerns about the payment rates, more than 150 healthcare providers and digital health companies joined the model, including Alphabet-owned AI company Verily and wearables provider Whoop.
Having new and upcoming companies engage in this sector is exciting
Reference
Vaidya, A. (2026, September 16). CMS to add more chronic conditions to access model in 2027 | healthcare dive. HealthcareDive. https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/cms-add-more-chronic-conditions-access-model-2027/830506/
No generative AI was used in the writing of this post
