If you haven’t heard about the Medicare ACCESS program, you’re not alone… it’s brand new. Starting July 5, 2026, Medicare members are getting a new care option to help you manage chronic conditions: CMS is rolling out a way to help people on Original Medicare (Medicare Part B) manage common ongoing health conditions using technology-supported care that works alongside the doctors you already see.

This matters for a simple reason: most older adults are managing more than they realize. 93% of older adults reported having one or more chronic health conditions, and nearly 79% reported having more than one. If you're one of them, ACCESS may give you new tools and support, at little or no extra cost, that weren't available to you before.

This program isn't a fit for every single person managing a chronic condition. Whether it's right for you depends on your specific health history. But for many people, it opens a door that simply wasn't there before. Here's what the ACCESS program is, who it's for, and how it works.

What is the ACCESS program?

ACCESS stands for Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions. It's a new Medicare initiative that changes how some organizations are paid to help you manage chronic conditions, shifting the focus from how many visits you have to whether your health actually improves.

In practice, that means more support between doctor visits: things like check-ins through an app, education and resources, remote monitoring, coaching, or virtual visits, all designed to help you reach health goals you set with your care team.

Who it's for and why it matters

ACCESS is available to people with Original Medicare. (If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, this particular program isn't available to you directly, though your plan may offer something similar.)

Signing up is completely voluntary, and it doesn't replace your regular doctor. Instead, it adds a layer of support: the organization you choose communicates regularly with your existing care team, so everyone stays on the same page.

This kind of support has been hard to come by in traditional Medicare. Until now, Medicare has mostly paid for individual visits and services, which hasn’t always left room for the ongoing, between-visit care that chronic conditions often need. ACCESS is a step toward closing that gap.

Chronic conditions covered by ACCESS

ACCESS organizes care into four groups, called tracks:

• Early heart, kidney, and metabolic conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and prediabetes
• Heart, kidney, and metabolic conditions, including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease
• Musculoskeletal conditions, which encompass chronic musculoskeletal pain
• Behavioral health conditions, which encompass depression and anxiety

Each track works the same basic way: you and a participating, technology supported organization like Bold build a plan together, with support delivered between your regular doctor visits rather than replacing them. The specific services look different depending on the condition, someone managing high blood pressure might focus on monitoring and lifestyle coaching, while someone managing chronic pain might focus on movement and pain education, but the underlying idea, more consistent support tied to outcomes, is the same across all four tracks.

Bold participates in the track that covers musculoskeletal conditions. If you manage chronic pain in your back, knees, hips, or elsewhere, that's the track that applies to you. Care under it can include things like online physical therapy for seniors, movement-based coaching, and other support aimed at reducing pain and improving mobility. Whether Medicare coverage for physical therapy applies in your specific case can depend on the organization and your individual plan, so it's worth asking directly.

Medicare coverage of tech: costs and fees

Part of what ACCESS covers is care delivered through technology, not just in-person visits: things like virtual consultations, remote check-ins, or app-based coaching between appointments. The good news is that it doesn't change how costs work. Tech-enabled support falls under the same cost-sharing rules as the rest of ACCESS. There's no separate fee just because it happens through an app or a video call instead of an office visit.

Bold is one such organization that is opting to fully cover a patient’s ACCESS fees – that means, if you seek chronic MSK pain care through Bold, there’s no out-of-pocket cost to you. Other organizations may also choose to waive or at least reduce your out-of-pocket costs for their services. Because this can vary by organization, it's worth asking directly what your costs would be before you sign up. Whichever organization you choose will walk you through what to expect, including any costs, before you officially enroll.

If you're comparing your options, it's reasonable to ask any organization a few direct questions upfront: 

• What does this cost me?
• Does it change my existing Medicare benefits in any way?
• Do I need a referral from my doctor first?

Getting clear answers before you sign up can save confusion later, especially since coverage details can vary depending on the organization and your specific Medicare plan.

Why sign up for ACCESS: Benefits for Medicare members

For many people managing a chronic condition, the hardest part isn't the doctor's visit. It's everything in between. ACCESS is designed to support that in-between time, with benefits that may include:

• Ongoing support between visits, instead of waiting for your next appointment to ask a question or report a change
• Technology that fits your life, like apps, wearable devices, or virtual check-ins, depending on what the organization offers
• Coordinated care, since your ACCESS organization shares updates with your existing doctor, so your care stays connected rather than siloed
• Flexibility, since you can stop participating, or switch to a different organization, after the first 90 days
• Continued commitment to your privacy and security, so you can be comfortable knowing that your personal information is never shared or sold to third-parties

Your participation in ACCESS doesn't affect your regular Medicare coverage in any way. You'll still have full access to your usual doctors and care. 

What you should know about Bold for Chronic MSK Pain in ACCESS

Bold is one of the organizations participating in ACCESS, specifically for the musculoskeletal pain track. Here's a brief look at what that means if you're managing chronic pain.

Who is eligible

Generally, you'll need to be experiencing chronic MSK pain that's lasted 12 weeks or more, and have traditional Medicare to be eligible. Beyond that, eligibility also depends on your broader health history, things like recent surgery or certain other conditions can affect whether this particular program is the right fit right now. If it isn't, that doesn't mean nothing can help, just that a different starting point might serve you better.

How it works

Bold's approach to the ACCESS program is delivered virtually, combining on-demand exercise classes, pain education, and clinician support, similar in spirit to the benefits of physical therapy for seniors but accessible from home. Members move through the program at their own pace, with content that adjusts as their pain and mobility change over time. Visit this page for more details, including exactly what the program includes and how it works day to day.

What members get through Bold

Through Bold's program, members get access to on-demand exercise coaching, pain education resources, and the ability to message or consult with a Bold clinician as needed. The program is built to evolve as your needs change, rather than staying static from week one to week twelve. Visit this page for more detail on what Bold's program includes and how it works day to day.

How to sign up for ACCESS

You can sign up for an ACCESS organization in one of two ways: directly with the organization like Bold, or through a referral from your doctor or another health care provider.

How to sign up for Bold for Chronic MSK Pain

Medicare members and referring providers can check eligibility and sign up at agebold.com/access or by calling (424) 414-7672.

For providers and PTs: Here's how to refer your patients to Bold

If you're a physical therapist or other provider working with patients who manage chronic musculoskeletal pain, you can refer them to Bold's ACCESS program at agebold.com/access. 

If you're interested in partnering with us, reach out to our partnerships team here, or learn more about partnering with Bold here.