Medicare Launches ACCESS Model; Outcome-Based Payments For Technology-Enabled Care Includes Depression, SUD & Nicotine Addiction

CMS announced the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model in December 2025 and launched the 10-year model on July 5, 2026. ACCESS provides beneficiaries with Original Medicare access to technology-supported chronic care through an outcomes-based payment model. At launch, ACCESS included a behavioral health track for depression and anxiety, along with tracks for early cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions, cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. ACCESS is also connected with the Food and Drug Administration's Technology-Enabled Meaningful Patient Outcomes (TEMPO) pilot, which supports access to certain digital health devices intended for . . .