Summary:
The AMA is applauding CMS’ new ACCESS Model, a voluntary Medicare initiative that tests technology-enabled chronic care solutions to improve outcomes and modernize treatment for millions of patients with common long-term conditions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The ACCESS Model aims to remove outdated Medicare payment barriers that have limited physicians’ use of digital health tools.
  • It supports technology such as telehealth, wearables, and digital coaching to enhance management of conditions like hypertension, diabetes, chronic pain, and depression.
  • The model focuses on aligning payment with measurable improvements in patients’ chronic conditions while giving clinicians greater flexibility to deliver tailored care.

The American Medical Association (AMA) announced it applauds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for launching a voluntary initiative to test technology-supported care for the millions of patients with chronic conditions in Original Medicare.

The model aims to overcome Medicare’s barriers to technological advancements that have proved beneficial in helping patients manage their chronic diseases. The voluntary model focuses on common conditions, such as chronic musculoskeletal pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and other conditions affecting millions of Americans. CMS announced the novel approach, known as the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model, this week.

“ACCESS is an important step toward bringing new, effective digital health tools into everyday care for Medicare patients. We applaud CMS and, in particular, Director Abe Sutton’s team at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, for this new approach,” said AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH. “For too long, outdated payment barriers have made it difficult for physicians to use new tools that can improve care for common chronic conditions. This new model has the potential to give clinicians more flexibility, strengthen care teams, and — most importantly —help patients live healthier lives. The AMA looks forward to supporting physicians as they adopt technology-enabled care models in ways that enhance the patient-physician relationship,” 

The ACCESS Model is designed to align payments with measurable improvements in patients’ chronic conditions based on each person’s starting point and tailored to patients’ needs for care rather than the individual services provided. According to AMA, by enabling the use of telehealth, wearable monitoring devices, digital coaching tools, and other innovative technologies, the model will help modernize chronic disease management and expand access for patients who have traditionally faced barriers to technology-enabled care.