Ep 65: CMMI Leaders on ACCESS Model Launch, Drug Pricing Strategy, and the Future of Technology Enabled Care

This episode announces the launch of CMS's ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) model - a groundbreaking payment innovation that enables technology-enabled care organizations to treat Medicare fee-for-service patients with chronic conditions through outcome-aligned payments rather than traditional fee-for-service. Abe Sutton (Director of CMMI) and Jacob Shiff (Chief AI & Technology Officer at CMMI) explain how the model addresses a fundamental gap in healthcare: while commercial and Medicare Advantage patients have access to digital therapeutics and technology-enabled chronic disease management, original Medicare beneficiaries have been left behind. ACCESS changes this by paying providers monthly fees for managing conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, behavioral health issues, and musculoskeletal pain - but only when patients achieve measurable clinical improvements. The model is designed to be deflationary rather than inflationary, encourages innovation by simplifying go-to-market for digital health startups, integrates with existing risk-bearing models like ACOs, and represents a broader CMMI strategy to shift from activity-based to outcome-based payments while leveraging new AI capabilities to democratize high-quality care. (0:00) Intro(0:57) The ACCESS Model: Advancing Chronic Care(4:35) Outcome-Aligned Payments and Technology(7:40) Encouraging Innovation and Investment(09:23) Practical Implementation and Examples(24:28) Evaluating Success and Future Goals(26:18) Connecting the Dots: Broader CMMI Initiatives(28:40) Generous and Its Impact on Drug Pricing(30:11) Challenges and Benefits of Prior Authorization(35:19) The Role of Technology in Healthcare(37:59) AI and Technology-Enabled Care(40:26) Reflections on Value-Based Care Models(43:51) Encouraging Competition in the Healthcare Market(48:24) Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/