As we move further into 2026, virtual care is entering a more consequential phase - defined less by experimentation and more by accountability, outcomes, and scale.

Recent policy developments, including CMMI’s ACCESS Model, extended telehealth and Hospital-at-Home programs, and growing federal and state focus on artificial intelligence, signal a healthcare system rethinking how care is delivered beyond traditional settings. This momentum is also shaping the next phase of our CloudCare platform as we continue working to better connect policy, technology, and care delivery.

What stands out most is the shift toward outcome-aligned payment models, as reflected in the ACCESS Model, which gives providers greater flexibility to leverage technology in service of measurable clinical outcomes. In parallel, the national conversation around healthcare AI is maturing - placing greater emphasis on safety, transparency, interoperability, and real-world clinical integration.

I’ll be sharing perspectives on these themes this month at the Frances Ann Capital Insights Forum, where leaders will discuss how virtual care, AI, and connected health are converging - and why scalable, outcome-driven platforms will be critical as digital health continues to evolve.

📅 Event Update:

Frances Ann Capital Insights Forum

We’re excited to share that Kent Dicks, CEO of Life365, spoke at the Frances Ann Capital Insights Forum on February 19, 2026, in Bonita Springs, FL.

This event brings together expert speakers and industry leaders to offer a curated perspective on the trends shaping capital deployment in the years ahead - including the growing role of innovation in healthcare delivery.

Kent shared insights on how technology, access, and execution intersect as remote care moves beyond traditional settings, and why scalable, outcome-driven models matter as investment continues to flow into digital health and connected care.

CloudCare Corner: An Architectural View of Virtual Care

Virtual care works - but scaling it has remained difficult. Many programs are still built on fragmented point solutions: siloed devices, app-dependent engagement, manual workflows, and data that arrives too late to drive meaningful action. CloudCare was designed to solve that challenge at the architecture level.

At its core, CloudCare is an AI-driven orchestration and interoperability platform that connects the home, care teams, and enterprise systems through a single unified layer. It brings together device-based and device-less data, converts it into structured, near–real-time insights, and routes it seamlessly into care management workflows, EMRs, and population health systems.

By unifying data from devices and other solutions, with AI driven engagement, automated fulfillment, configurable care pathways, and simplified integration, CloudCare reduces operational burden while extending care across populations - from wellness to high-risk.

In future editions of CloudCare Corner, we’ll focus on specific use cases to show how this architecture translates into scalable virtual-first care, better outcomes, and more efficient care delivery.

📢  Policy Updates

New CMMI ACCESS Model: Expanding Technology-Supported Chronic Care

On December 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Innovation Center (CMMI) announced the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model, a voluntary 10-year payment test aimed at transforming how chronic conditions are managed in Original Medicare. ACCESS will test an outcome-aligned payment approach that rewards measurable improvements in patient health instead of paying for specific services, enabling clinicians and organizations to leverage technology-supported care (e.g., digital tools, remote monitoring, virtual engagement) to help beneficiaries prevent and manage conditions like hypertension, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and behavioral health issues.

The model is designed to give providers predictable recurring payments tied to achieving agreed clinical outcomes, such as blood pressure control, while fostering innovation and patient choice. CMS will initially launch four clinical tracks and maintain a public directory of participating organizations and outcomes to support transparency and informed decision-making.

Goals & Expectations:

• Expand access to tech-enabled chronic care and support proactive health management outside traditional visits.

• Align Medicare payment with patient outcomes instead of volume of services.

• Promote care coordination and potentially lower long-term costs while improving quality.

Learn more, here.

Federal Funding Package Extends Telehealth and Hospital-at-Home Programs

On February 3, President Trump signed a federal funding package extending several key virtual care policies. The legislation extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027; provides a five-year extension of the Acute Hospital Care at Home Program through September 30, 2030, allowing hospitals to continue delivering inpatient-level care in the home; and expands the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program to include virtual diabetes suppliers through December 31, 2029. Together, these provisions provide long-term stability for telehealth, hospital-at-home, and virtual chronic disease prevention models. View the announcement, here..

Read more, here.

HHS Requests Input on Accelerating the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Care

On December 23, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on how to accelerate the adoption and use of artificial intelligence as part of clinical care delivery. The RFI reflects HHS’s interest in shaping a national approach to AI that supports safe, effective, and responsible use across healthcare operations, population health, and direct patient care.

In response, stakeholders across healthcare and technology have emphasized the importance of a risk-based, patient-centered framework for healthcare AI—one that promotes transparency, interoperability, access, and ethical use, while avoiding inappropriate liability shifts to providers. Key priorities include modernizing payment and incentive structures, supporting workforce education and AI literacy, and ensuring AI tools integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows and interoperable data systems. Together, these principles position AI as a critical enabler of prevention, chronic disease management, workforce sustainability, and value-based care. View the RFI, here.

Read the Request for Information, here.

📰 Quick Bytes - What We're Tracking

Politico – Utah Moves Forward with AI-Supported Prescribing

Utah lawmakers are advancing legislation that would allow artificial intelligence to support certain medication-prescribing decisions under defined clinical oversight. While providers would remain responsible for final decisions, the move highlights growing state-level momentum to formally integrate AI into clinical workflows. The development underscores both the opportunity and urgency for clear guardrails around safety, accountability, and clinician involvement as AI becomes more embedded in care delivery.

Read the article – here.

Fierce Healthcare – Experience-Centered AI as the Future of Healthcare Innovation

Industry leaders argue that the next phase of healthcare AI must prioritize human experience—supporting clinicians, reducing cognitive burden, and improving patient engagement rather than simply automating tasks. The piece emphasizes that trust, usability, and workflow alignment will determine adoption, reinforcing the importance of designing AI tools that augment care teams and strengthen, rather than replace, clinical relationships.

Read the article - here. 

Nixon Law Group - CMS Launches ACCESS Model: Tools Directory Opens New Pathways for Digital Health Vendors

CMS’s newly launched ACCESS Model introduces a Tools Directory designed to help participating providers identify and adopt approved digital health and AI-enabled solutions. The directory represents a meaningful opportunity for vendors to align with value-based care objectives, support population health, and integrate into capitated payment models. While participation requirements remain complex, the model signals CMS’s intent to create clearer on-ramps for technology-enabled care innovation.

Read the blog post, here. 

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