CMS Announces First States to Participate in AHEAD Model

On July 2, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Maryland, Vermont, and Connecticut will be the first participants in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) model. Hawaii will also participate, subject to meeting certain requirements, CMS said. The voluntary, all-payer model will hold participating states accountable for controlling overall health care spending growth and improving population health outcomes. CMS will issue agreements with each participating state, which could receive up to $12 million from CMS over the first five and a half years of the model to support implementation. CMS will select four additional states this fall. States interested in participating in Cohort 3 must submit a letter of intent to CMS by July 26 and submit an application by 3 p.m. ET on August 12.