CMS swaps fee-for-service for outcome pay in behavioral health pilot

The next ACCESS entry point is October 1, 2026, and behavioral health participants bill only model G-codes for aligned Original Medicare beneficiaries during the 12-month care period instead of fee-for-service (Lexology: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=eb97b506-6fb9-49ff-b3f5-651f76b0aadf). Payment is outcome-aligned, scaling with the share of patients hitting PHQ-9 and GAD-7 improvement targets against a 50% threshold in year one (McDonald Hopkins: https://www.mcdonaldhopkins.com/insights/news/cms-to-expand-access-model).