CMS Expands ACCESS Model to Four New Chronic Conditions

CMS is widening the reach of its ACCESS Model, an outcomes-based payment program that launched in July with 160 participating providers. Starting in spring 2027, the model will add four new chronic conditions: heart failure, COPD, substance use disorders and tobacco cessation, according to MedCity News.

The expansion changes the scale of the program. Once the new tracks go live, roughly three in four Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible for at least one, turning ACCESS from a targeted pilot into a broad test of paying providers based on patient outcomes rather than volume of services.

For providers, the additions cover some of the most common and costly conditions in the Medicare population. Heart failure and COPD drive frequent hospitalizations, while substance use and tobacco use are major upstream cost drivers. The move signals CMS's continued push toward value-based arrangements and gives participating organizations more room to build outcome-focused care around chronic disease management.