Over the past several months, we’ve shared updates on the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model as details emerged from CMS. Now we’re bringing everything together in one place.
Launching January 1, 2027, as the successor to ACO REACH, LEAD runs a full decade, the longest performance period the CMS Innovation Center has ever tested. Its benchmarks won’t rebase mid-model, it offers two risk tracks so practices can choose how much they take on, and it delivers prospective, capitated payments that make cash flow more predictable. It also lowers the barrier to entry for practices new to ACOs and builds in stronger support for high-needs patients, including those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.
Those changes could reshape what value-based care looks like for your practice, but the details matter: which track fits, how your cost profile affects your benchmark, and whether LEAD or MSSP is the better home. We’ve consolidated our previous information shared, along with answers to the questions we hear most often, into a single resource. Explore it on our CMS LEAD FAQ page.
