CMS Launches 10-Year ACCESS Medicare Model for 150 AI Chronic-Care Participants
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 13
CMS Launches 10-Year ACCESS Medicare Model for 150 AI Chronic-Care Participants
7 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 13
July 5 marks the start of ACCESS, a 10-year CMS model that will pay 150 participants to manage chronic conditions through measurable outcomes rather than billed clinician time.
The shift creates Medicare’s first payment path for AI tools that monitor patients between visits, handle check-ins, coordinate referrals and support care for diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, obesity, depression and anxiety.
Pair Team, one of the selected companies, says its voice AI agent Flora now handles routine patient engagement; the company employs about 850 clinicians and says it already has access to roughly 500,000 potential patients.
The model also carries risks: participants will feed sensitive patient data into federal systems with a history of breaches, and a 2023 CBO analysis found CMS innovation programs raised spending by $5.4 billion in their first decade.
With private insurers now backing Medicare's AI plan, is this the end of traditional chronic care management?
How will Medicare's new AI program prevent automated systems from unjustly denying patient care?
Can a low-payment model for AI healthcare truly scale or will it just benefit a few tech startups?
Medicare’s ACCESS Model: A Decade-Long Shift to Outcome-Based, Technology-Driven Chronic Care (2026–2036)
Overview
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch the ACCESS Model in July 2026, introducing a major change in chronic care for Medicare beneficiaries. This model aims to modernize Medicare by expanding access to technology-supported care, such as telehealth, wearables, and health apps. Federal officials describe ACCESS as an outcome-aligned payment approach, focusing on measurable improvements in patient health rather than the number of services provided. By encouraging the use of health technology, the model seeks to improve patient outcomes and make it easier to prevent and manage chronic diseases, marking a new era in Medicare care delivery.