CMS Innovation Models

Over the past 30 days, CMS—under the Trump administration—has accelerated value-based care transformation by selecting over 150 participants for the new ACCESS model, a 10-year voluntary initiative tying Medicare reimbursement for chronic disease management to measurable outcomes and incorporating digital health partners at scale (CMS announces 150 participants for ACCESS model). Simultaneously, the launch of the LEAD model is positioned as a strategic lever for further expanding value-based care infrastructure and ACO participation, but payment rates in ACCESS have drawn concern for falling below industry expectations—potentially tempering provider engagement (ACCESS Model’s payment approach). These moves signal CMS’s commitment to outcome-driven, technology-enabled payment models, while highlighting ongoing tensions around payment adequacy and provider risk appetite in Medicare value-based contracting.