150 Companies Join Medicare’s ACCESS Chronic Care Pilot Program
More than 150 companies are set to take part in Medicare’s innovative ACCESS Chronic Care Pilot Program. This initiative, launched by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), aims to enhance access to technology-supported chronic care.
Overview of the ACCESS Chronic Care Pilot Program
The ACCESS model is designed to facilitate better management of several chronic conditions, including:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Muskuloskeletal pain
- Anxiety
- Depression
Under this program, participants will receive established payment rates tied to measurable health outcomes. This structure provides an alternative to the conventional model, which compensates for individual technology services.
Participants in the Program
The list of provisional participants includes a diverse array of organizations, such as:
- Popular mental health applications
- Wearable device manufacturers
- Life sciences companies associated with major tech firms like Google
- Startups focused on heart failure management
Interestingly, most of the participating organizations have not previously offered services to Medicare patients.
Program Deadlines and Expectations
Initially, the deadline for the first ACCESS cohort was set for April 1. However, CMMI recently announced an extension to encourage additional companies to join the pilot program. The response has exceeded expectations, indicating a strong interest among digital health developers.
Medicare officials have noted that despite modest payment rates and restrictions, the enthusiasm from digital health companies remains high. This positive feedback suggests a belief in the potential effectiveness of the ACCESS model in transforming chronic care management.
