CMS Adds Medicare Options to Help People Manage Substance Use Disorder, Heart Failure, and Other Common Chronic Conditions

CMS said it is expanding the ACCESS Model to Original Medicare and adding technology-supported care options for substance use disorder, heart failure, COPD, and tobacco cessation. The agency framed the change as a way to give Medicare enrollees more support managing common chronic conditions and accessing care outside traditional visit patterns. This is materially different from prior published items because it focuses on Medicare benefit design and chronic-condition management rather than rural transformation funding.