By OPEN MINDS Circle
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting applications for a $100 million pilot program to test evidence-based lifestyle and functional medicine approaches for chronic disease. The funding is available through the Make America Healthy Again: Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value-Based Approaches Through Evidence (MAHA ELEVATE) program.
CMS released the funding opportunity (CMS-2W2-27-001) on March 13, 2026. A mandatory letter of intent is due April 10, 2026, and proposals are due May 15, 2026. Awards are expected in October 2026.
The funding is intended for organizations that either provide whole-person functional or lifestyle medicine services directly to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries or partner with other organizations to deliver services. The following types of entities are eligible to apply:
- Private medical practices
- Health systems and accountable care organizations (ACOs)
- Academic organizations
- Functional, lifestyle, preventive and integrative medicine centers
- Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics
- Community-based organizations
- State or local governments
- Indian Health Service/Tribal Services/Urban Indian Programs
- Senior living communities
Selected projects will provide Original (fee-for-service) Medicare beneficiaries with psychological, nutritional, and physical interventions not currently covered by Medicare. All proposals must incorporate nutrition or physical activity and may also address sleep, stress management, substance use, and social connection. The services are intended to complement conventional medical care.
CMS intends to select up to 30 projects for three-year cooperative agreements, including three focused on dementia. The model will include two cohorts, launching in 2026 and 2027.
Each awardee may receive up to $3.3 million over the three-year performance period. Participants will work with CMS on data collection, quality measurement, recruitment, and cost management. The model will evaluate the impact of the interventions on cost and quality of care.
The funding opportunity is available for download from the OPEN MINDS Government RFP & Contract Database at no charge to OPEN MINDS Circle subscribers.
OPEN MINDS reported on the federal plans in CMS Unveils MAHA ELEVATE Payment Model Aimed At Functional Lifestyle Medicine on December 23, 2025.
For more information, contact: Office of Communications, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244; 202-690-6145; Email: MAHAELEVATE@cms.hhs.gov; Website: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/maha-elevate