CMS Opens Medicare ACCESS Model To Tech Firms, Innovaccer Joins Cohort

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a new payment pathway allowing technology-enabled care organizations to participate directly in Medicare under the ACCESS Model, a program set to begin in July 2026. The model allows approved participants to deliver and manage chronic care services for Medicare beneficiaries and receive outcome-based payments without relying on traditional referral structures.

The ACCESS Model, short for Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions, targets conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral health, which affect a majority of Medicare beneficiaries. CMS states the program is designed to expand access to coordinated care while shifting reimbursement toward measurable health outcomes.

Direct Enrollment Expands Role Of Technology Providers

The program introduces a structure where Medicare patients can enroll in participating care programs supported by technology organizations. This expands the role of non-traditional providers, including digital health platforms, in delivering longitudinal care services.

CMS has selected approximately 150 organizations for initial participation, including digital health companies and care delivery groups. The model is expected to run through 2036, signaling a long-term shift in how Medicare supports chronic care management.

The policy change comes as healthcare providers and payers continue to test new care delivery models to address cost pressures and care fragmentation. Previous efforts by large incumbents to integrate care delivery and technology have faced operational complexity.

Innovaccer Among First Cohort As AI Enters Care Delivery

Innovaccer is among the organizations accepted into ACCESS Model Cohort 1. The company stated that health systems can participate by referring eligible Medicare patients while sharing in co-management revenue, without requiring new infrastructure or assuming outcome risk.

The structure allows technology platforms to operate alongside providers in managing patient populations, particularly for chronic conditions that require continuous monitoring and intervention. CMS notes that participants are expected to use tools such as data integration, remote monitoring, and care coordination systems to improve outcomes.

Healthcare organizations have increasingly deployed artificial intelligence to improve operational visibility and patient management, demonstrating how AI is being used within clinical and administrative workflows to identify inefficiencies and support decision-making.

The ACCESS Model creates a new economic structure for these capabilities by linking reimbursement directly to patient outcomes. This aligns financial incentives with continuous care management rather than episodic treatment, expanding the role of software-driven care models within Medicare.

The program’s launch also introduces new competition, with large technology companies expected to participate alongside digital health firms. As AI becomes a larger component of enterprise strategy across industries, its role in healthcare delivery continues to expand, similar to broader shifts in enterprise priorities.

CMS opened applications for the model in early 2026, with the first cohort scheduled to begin operations in July. The agency states the program is intended to scale nationally over time, with a focus on improving outcomes for patients with chronic conditions while controlling long-term costs.