LeadingAge members have consistently pioneered new approaches to care for older adults—especially through programs promoting healthy living, functional well-being, and chronic care management. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center has announced that applications are now being accepted for the “Making America Healthy Again: Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value‑based Approaches Through Evidence” (MAHA ELEVATE), providing aging services providers with an opportunity to strengthen their leadership in this space.
CMS will award up to 30 cooperative agreements over three years, totaling up to $100 million and a maximum of $3.3 million per grant recipient, to organizations serving the traditional Medicare FFS population. All proposals must include nutrition or physical activity interventions. Three awards are specifically reserved for dementia-related initiatives.
Interested applicants must submit a mandatory Letter of Intent (LOI) by April 10, 2026, and complete the full application by May 15, 2026.
Eligible applicants include physician practices, health systems, ACOs, state and local governments, community-based organizations, Indian health/tribal services, and senior living communities among other organizations with demonstrated experience in evidence-based, whole-person interventions. For LeadingAge members already invested in wellness, chronic disease prevention, and lifestyle change, MAHA ELEVATE offers a valuable chance to expand and rigorously evaluate their efforts for older adults.
Applicants will select one or more chronic conditions and the corresponding interventions they intend to offer to their Medicare FFS population. MAHA ELEVATE supports interventions including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, avoidance of harmful substances, and social connection, in addition to conventional medical care.
This voluntary service delivery model tests evidence-based, whole-person functional or lifestyle medicine (FLM) approaches to care. Instead of treating diseases separately after they appear, MAHA ELEVATE emphasizes proactive, comprehensive strategies combining psychological, nutritional, and physical interventions with personalized, lifestyle-based prevention and early treatment. The model is expected to generate important evidence that can inform future Medicare coverage decisions and influence the next generation of value-based care models for older populations.
The program will be rolled out in two cohorts with one launching in October 2026 and the second in 2027.
Selected participants will help lead a national movement to reform health care by empowering individuals to manage their health and proactively address chronic disease.
LeadingAge members aiming to advance or expand lifestyle-based and chronic care management efforts are encouraged to explore this opportunity. For more information on the model check out this information:
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