CMS ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) is a 10-year CMMI model launching July 5, 2026. The ACCESS Model tests an outcome-aligned payment approach in Original Medicare to expand access to new technology-supported care options that help people improve their health and prevent and manage chronic disease. The voluntary model focuses on conditions affecting more than two-thirds of people with Medicare, including high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and depression.

Eligible participants include health systems, physician groups, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and other Part B billing entities with Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiary panels. Organizations can participate as a full ACCESS Participant or through a referral relationship with an established Participant.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The first cohort deadline was April 1, 2026 for a July 2026 start. Subsequent cohorts can apply throughout the model duration, with new cohorts launching annually.

Yes. MSSP ACOs can participate in ACCESS. For 2026-2027, ACCESS Outcome Achievement Payments are excluded from your ACO’s benchmark calculation, providing an 18-month financial shield. Starting in 2028, ACCESS expenditures will be included in ACO benchmark calculations.

Co-management payments compensate referring providers for reviewing and acting on clinical updates from the ACCESS Participant. ACCESS Model reimbursements are approximately $30 per service, with a $10 modifier for the initial onboarding visit. CMS compensates referring providers up to ~$100 per beneficiary per year through co-management billing, once every four months per track — while retaining their existing fee-for-service billing without new infrastructure or compliance obligations.

Beneficiaries voluntarily align to one ACCESS Participant per track and cannot re-align elsewhere.

Story Health offers an end-to-end program where Story Health Partners manages clinical delivery, continuous monitoring, and outcome tracking that will be shared with the aligned beneficiary’s primary care provider.

Organizations that refer to Story Health Partners can launch ACCESS programs in 60-90 days through the managed program model, compared to 12-18 months for organizations building infrastructure to participate directly.

Proven outcomes with Story Health
We have already delivered results on outcome-based chronic care management — this is not new for us.

EHR-native workflows
Clinicians work inside their existing EHR, not a separate app, driving higher adoption.

Data + Intelligence + Delivery in one
Most vendors do one piece. We do all three — no stitching together multiple tools.

Data Stewardship
We enable unified intelligence while keeping your data silo-protected, access-governed, and shielded from external digital health platforms.‍

Yes. Story Health’s platform integrates with all major EHR systems — Epic, Oracle Cerner, MEDITECH, Athenahealth, and others — through HL7, FHIR, and direct API connections. Clinical data flows bidirectionally, ensuring providers maintain full visibility into beneficiary care within their existing workflows.

Visit innovaccer.com/cms-access or contact your Innovaccer representative. Organizations targeting Q1 2027 participation should begin application preparation now.