CMS will begin accepting applications in 2026 for a new payment model designed to expand access to technology-supported chronic care for individuals with “original Medicare.”
Here are four things to know:
- The model will begin accepting applications Jan. 12. The deadline to apply is April 1, and the program will launch July 1, according to an agency update.
- The model’s aim is to test whether tying recurring payments to health outcomes can accelerate adoption of digital tools for chronic disease management. The model will focus on conditions prevalent among older adults, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression. CMS noted that people with Medicare currently have limited access to technology-supported care.
- Participants will receive recurring payments to manage patients’ conditions, with payment tied to achieving specific health outcomes. CMS said the structure is intended to emphasize results and give clinicians more flexibility in care delivery.
- CMS said the program will include discrete tracks for behavioral health, early cardiometabolic risks, cardio-kidney-metabolic diseases and chronic pain.
Interested parties can complete a form to be notified when the application becomes available.
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