Bill > HR8355

This bill, titled the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act of 2026, mandates that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), a division of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responsible for testing innovative healthcare payment and delivery models, must test a new model aimed at reducing chronic diseases. Specifically, CMMI is required to implement an "Accountable Produce is Medicine Bundled Payment Model" within 180 days of the bill's enactment. This model will involve bundled payments, meaning a single payment for a set of services, made under Medicare (Titles XVIII), Medicaid (Title XIX), or the Children's Health Insurance Program (Title XXI) to eligible programs. These selected programs, at least five in number and participating for at least two years, will provide "Accountable Produce is Medicine services" (APIM services) to eligible individuals for one year. APIM services include personalized health risk assessments, care coordination, telehealth for chronic disease monitoring, remote patient monitoring, lifestyle modification programs like nutrition counseling, and the provision of healthy, nutrient-dense foods, with a preference for locally grown produce or food produced through regenerative agriculture, a conservation management approach focused on improving soil health and water management. Eligible individuals are those enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP, residing in medically underserved or rural areas, diagnosed with specific chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension, deemed likely to benefit from the program by a healthcare professional, and prepared to participate without already receiving duplicative services. The model will also involve tracking patient health data, re-enrollment assessments, and potentially require selected programs to assume financial risk for performance starting in the third year, with no deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance for eligible individuals.