What is the CMS ACCESS Model?

The CMS ACCESS Model is a program from Medicare’s Innovation Center. ACCESS stands for “Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions.” It tests a new way of paying for care inside Original Medicare, so that people can get more access to technology-supported care options that help them work on their health and manage chronic conditions.

If you are on Original Medicare and you have come across the ACCESS Model, you may be wondering what it is, whether it is real, and what it would mean for you. This guide answers those questions in plain language. Where we state a fact about the model, we link to the official CMS page so you can check it yourself.

What the ACCESS Model is

The ACCESS Model is run by the CMS Innovation Center, which is also called CMMI. CMS is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare. The Innovation Center is the part of CMS that tests new approaches to care and payment.

The model tests an “outcome-aligned” way of paying for care inside Original Medicare. In plain terms, it is an experiment in how care is paid for, designed to widen access to newer, technology-supported care options that help people work on their health and prevent and manage chronic disease. Under this design, the payment to the care organization taking part is tied to reaching measurable health outcomes. It applies to Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B), not to Medicare Advantage.

The ACCESS Model began on July 1, 2026, and is set to run for ten years. You can read the official overview on the CMS website: the CMS ACCESS Model page. Because it is a published CMS model, it is something you can verify for yourself, which is one good way to tell a real program from a scam.

The four tracks at a glance

The ACCESS Model has four clinical tracks. Each track covers a different group of conditions. Here they are in plain language.

• eCKM, early cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions. Covers high blood pressure (hypertension), high or abnormal lipids including cholesterol (dyslipidemia), being overweight or having obesity along with a marker of central obesity, and prediabetes.
• CKM, cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions. Covers diabetes, chronic kidney disease (stage 3a or 3b), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease.
• MSK, musculoskeletal conditions. Covers chronic musculoskeletal pain.
• BH, behavioral health conditions. Covers depression and anxiety.

A track is simply the group of conditions a participant focuses on. A program taking part in the model does not have to be in every track.

The three tracks Happy Hearts is part of (eCKM, CKM, and BH)

Happy Hearts takes part in three of the four tracks: eCKM, CKM, and BH. It is not part of the MSK track. Here is why those three fit a heart health service:

• eCKM covers high blood pressure, which is at the center of what Happy Hearts does.
• CKM covers heart disease (as part of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease), along with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which often travel together with heart conditions.
• BH covers depression and anxiety, which often come along with living with a chronic heart condition. Caring for the whole person, not only the numbers, is part of good heart care.

The MSK track, chronic musculoskeletal pain, is outside what a heart health service does, so Happy Hearts is not in it.

How your own doctor stays in charge

A common and fair worry is whether a program like this steps between you and your own doctor. With the ACCESS Model, the design keeps your regular doctor in the loop. Here is how that works in the model:

• Participants share care plans and updates electronically at key moments, such as when a treatment begins, when it is completed, and at defined points along the way.
• These updates connect to a Health Information Exchange, a secure system that lets the clinicians involved in your care access the updates.
• Your primary care provider and other referring clinicians can be paid a “co-management” payment for reviewing those updates and recording care-coordination steps, such as adjusting a medication. This co-management payment is paid without any cost-sharing from you. It is a payment to your clinicians, not a charge to you.

The plain-language version: your own doctor stays in charge of your care, and the model is built so they can stay informed and act on what comes in. You can read the detail on the official CMS page for primary care providers and referring clinicians.

What this means for you

If you are on Original Medicare, the ACCESS Model is a real, federal program you can look up on CMS.gov. It is testing whether outcome-aligned payment can widen access to newer, technology-supported care for chronic conditions.

For Happy Hearts members, taking part in the model is part of how the service works with your existing care rather than around it. You can also see how Happy Hearts works. Tracking your numbers at home will not, on its own, change your health. What it can do is help you and your doctor spot patterns and talk about them. That is the point of it: fewer surprises, and clearer conversations.

One honest thing to know before you ask: being in the model involves an eligibility check, and not everyone who checks will be able to join. Because the ACCESS Model is a test that Medicare is required to study, it includes a comparison group, and some people are assigned to that group instead of joining. You can confirm what applies to you at CMS.gov and with Happy Hearts.

If you would like to find out whether Happy Hearts is a fit for you, get in touch. Leave your details and we will follow up. There is no pressure, and no cost to ask a question.

Frequently asked questions

What does ACCESS stand for in the CMS ACCESS Model?

ACCESS stands for “Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions.” It is a model run by the CMS Innovation Center, the part of Medicare that tests new approaches to care and payment.

Is the ACCESS Model a real Medicare program?

Yes. The ACCESS Model is run by the CMS Innovation Center for people on Original Medicare. Because it is a published CMS model, you can look it up yourself on the official CMS website at cms.gov.

Which conditions does the ACCESS Model cover?

The model has four tracks. eCKM covers high blood pressure, abnormal lipids including cholesterol, overweight or obesity with a marker of central obesity, and prediabetes. CKM covers diabetes, chronic kidney disease (stage 3a or 3b), and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including heart disease. MSK covers chronic musculoskeletal pain. BH covers depression and anxiety.

Does the ACCESS Model replace my own doctor?

No. The model is built so your own doctor stays in charge. Participants share care plans and updates electronically at key moments, and your primary care provider and referring clinicians can access those updates through a secure Health Information Exchange. They can be paid a “co-management” payment to review them, and that payment is made without any cost-sharing from you. It is a payment to your clinicians, not a charge to you.

This article is for general information about a Medicare program and is not a substitute for advice from your own doctor or from Medicare; it does not promise any health result. Whether you are eligible and able to join depends on your situation and an eligibility check, and joining is not guaranteed. You can confirm what applies to you at CMS.gov and with Happy Hearts.