Traditional MedicareCoverageMedium impact
2025-12-18 - MAHA ELEVATE Brings Lifestyle Medicine to Original Medicare
Medicare/CMS·Coverage
Effective date
Sep 1, 2026
We identified it
Jan 12, 2026
Summary
CMS announced the MAHA ELEVATE Model, a voluntary program funding up to 30 chronic disease prevention and lifestyle medicine programs starting September 2026. This newsletter also includes multiple other Medicare updates including drug survey requirements, billing code changes, and compliance tips.
Action Required
By December 31, 2025: Register for the Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals PEPPER webinar if applicable. By January 2, 2026: Critical Access Hospitals must ensure physician reassignments are filed in PECOS or claims will be returned to provider. By March 31, 2026: Hospitals that received OPPS payments for outpatient drugs from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 must complete the Drug Acquisition Cost Survey and register at OPPSDrugSurvey@cms.hhs.gov with CMS Certification Number.