CMS announces first states to participate in AHEAD model

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 2 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, pending satisfaction of certain requirements, CMS said. The voluntary all-payer model will hold participating states accountable for controlling overall growth in health care expenditures and improving population health outcomes. CMS will issue agreements to each participating state, which could receive up to $12 million from CMS during the first five and a half years of the model to support implementation. CMS will select four more 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 Aug. 12.