CMS adds COPD, heart failure to ACCESS Model

WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will expand an existing initiative to offer technology-support care options to Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure.

The Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model currently offers care options for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression.

“We built ACCESS because too many people with chronic conditions were falling through the cracks between appointments,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “ACCESS is one of the tools we are using to bring health care into the digital age, giving patients and their providers greater access to AI-enabled technologies, remote monitoring, connected devices, and other innovative tools that can help identify problems earlier and improve care. This latest expansion of the program will help more Americans get the care they need and reward providers who deliver actual results.”

ACCESS uses a new payment approach that enables participating organizations to potentially provide virtual care, health coaching, remote monitoring and connected devices and wearables between regular doctor visits. It emphasizes achieving specified health outcomes, tying payments directly to measurable improvements in patient health.

The agency will grow the ACCESS Model across several areas, including:

• Heart failure: Supporting eligible patients with continuous monitoring focused on measurable gains in function, symptom management and quality of life.
• COPD: Offering targeted support to help maintain or improve lung function, ease symptoms and support day-to-day activities.

The new condition tracks will start in spring 2027.