Medicare might start paying for your nutritionist and lifestyle coach and this is going to be huge.
The Trump administration just rolled out a new program that will completely change what Medicare covers and it’s got a very interesting name:
“MAHA ELEVATE (Make America Healthy Again: Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-based Approaches Through Evidence)”
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is throwing $100 million at up to 30 test programs over three years. The goal of this Medicare payment model introduced by the Trump? Get Medicare to cover stuff it typically doesn’t, such as functional medicine and lifestyle coaching that focuses on keeping you healthy instead of just treating you only when you’re sick.
What Value It Actually Brings To You?
Things such as nutrition counseling, personalized exercise programs, sleep coaching, and stress management. All these things are what your doctor tells you to do but Medicare is not paying for it currently.
Abe Sutton, who runs CMS’s Innovation Center, says they want to “empower people with Medicare to lead healthier lives” by tackling the basics that really matter. It is what you eat, how you move, whether you’re getting enough sleep, and how stressed you are on a daily basis.
The pitch is simple. These programs will work alongside regular medical care, not in place of it. You’re not replacing your doctor visits. You’re adding support that could prevent you from needing more serious medical care down the road. And supposedly, it won’t cost Medicare patients anything extra out of pocket.
CMS says on their landing page that the model is designed to “offer additional options to beneficiaries without replacing their medical services.”. This means more tools in your healthcare toolkit.
The first funding applications open early 2026 and the full launch will be announced in September of that year.
This Came Right After Another Big Announcement
CMS unveiled MAHA ELEVATE model right on the heels of announcing another new model called ACCESS, which pushes technology and digital tools into Medicare coverage for chronic disease treatment. Health tech companies that have struggled for years to get Medicare reimbursement are celebrating that one.
Clearly, CMS is on a roll with trying new approaches.
Why Healthcare Groups Are Actually Excited?
The National Association of ACOs came out swinging in support. They pointed out something interesting:
“Currently, many accountable care organizations use shared savings to provide patients interventions that are shown to help prevent or improve chronic conditions. These include physical activity and nutrition programs.”
Basically, healthcare groups already know this stuff works. They’re just paying for it out of their own pockets right now because Medicare doesn’t cover it currently.
NAACOs said they expect a lot of interest from accountable care organizations who want to expand what they’re already doing locally and help shape future Medicare payment model policies.
The Bigger Picture: They Have Decided To Pay for Health, Instead of Just Sickness
Right now, Medicare pays for treating disease, not preventing it. Many groups of MIPS healthcare already use their own money to offer patients these kinds of programs because they actually work and save money in the long run.
The Primary Care Collaborative put it bluntly:
“For decades, the American health system has prioritized incenting services rather than incenting health. This announcement reflects a growing awareness that our current approach doesn’t work.”
Ann Greiner, President and CEO of the Primary Care Collaborative, praised CMS for being
“committed to a model that prioritizes capturing data for evidence-based interventions that support prevention, health promotion and chronic care management to shift our system to more holistic care.”
What Will Happen Next?
This is a test run. The programs funded under MAHA ELEVATE will collect data and evidence that CMS will use to make future decisions about what Medicare should permanently cover. The feedback and results will also help the Innovation Center build future models.
If these 30 programs prove that lifestyle and functional medicine actually keep people healthier and reduce healthcare costs, we could see a major shift in what Medicare pays for going forward.
For now, healthcare organizations interested in testing these approaches have until early 2026 to get their proposals ready.
May You Need to Read:
What the CMS 2026 Rule Means for Your Medical Practice
Trump Administration Delivers Devastating Blow to Americans Drowning in Medical Debt
CMS Rushes to Recall 3,000 Workers Before Enrollment Deadline
