The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the MAHA ELEVATE Model, a new federal initiative to expand access to preventive and lifestyle-based care within Original Medicare. The model represents CMS’s shift toward incorporating functional and lifestyle medicine approaches that Medicare does not currently cover, including nutritional support and physical activity programs.
The MAHA ELEVATE Model will distribute approximately $100 million in funding for up to three-year cooperative agreements, with a Notice of Funding Opportunity expected in early 2026 and a model launch date of September 1, 2026. Eligible applicants include private medical practices, health systems, accountable care organizations, academic organizations, functional and integrative medicine centers, federally qualified health centers, rural health centers, community-based organizations, and state or local governments.
All proposals must include nutrition or physical activity in their design. Three awards have been reserved specifically for dementia-related intervention proposals. The model will provide opportunities for organizations offering “Food as Medicine” benefits to enter Original Medicare, though food itself is listed as an unallowable cost. Organizations can use funding for ancillary services supporting food benefits, such as culinary medicine, food security screenings, meal planning, nutrition coaching, food delivery, and coordination with public food benefits.
Accountable care organizations stand to benefit significantly. Unlike the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which relies on claims-based benchmarking, MAHA ELEVATE offers a grant-funded pathway to test non-covered services and generate evidence that could shape future Medicare policy. ACOs could submit proposals to test interventions targeting chronic disease risk factors such as poor diet, inactivity, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. This initiative reflects CMS’s goal to promote evidence-based prevention, empower beneficiaries, and drive choice in care delivery.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://natlawreview.com/article/cmss-maha-elevate-model-integrating-whole-person-care-original-medicare