Letter of intent to apply for MAHA ELEVATE grants due soon 

The initial deadline is approaching for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s (CMMI) new Making America Healthy Again Enhancing Lifestyle & Evaluating Value-based Approaches Through Evidence (MAHA ELEVATE) model. 

MAHA ELEVATE is a voluntary model meant to fund evidence-based, whole-person functional or lifestyle medicine (FLM). Participants will receive up to $3.3 million in Cooperative Agreement Awards over a three-year period. The model includes two cohorts launching October 2026 and October 2027.

CMMI will issue 30 awards across the two cohorts (15 each). The agency is particularly interested in interventions that incorporate nutrition and physical activity. Three awards will be set aside specifically for programs focused on dementia and cognitive decline. The deadline to submit a letter of intent is April 10, and applications are due May 15. (For other new payment model options, see "CMMI Releases Nine New Payment Models.")

Eligible participants include:

• Private medical practices;
• Health systems and accountable care organizations;
• Academic institutions;
• Functional, lifestyle, preventive, and integrative medicine centers;
• Community-based organizations;
• Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural HealthClinics;
• Indian Health Service/Tribal Services/Urban Indian Programs;
• Local and state governments.

CMMI will select recipients based on five key criteria: 

1. Whole-person FLM intervention design, including cost savings; 
2. Beneficiary recruitment and study design; 
3. Organizational and administrative capacity; 
4. Data management capabilities; 
5. Budget. 

Applicants must demonstrate strong evidence-based support for their proposed intervention, proof of their own successful implementation of it, and associated cost savings. They must also be able to recruit large numbers of beneficiaries, have a clear randomization plan, and have advanced data management capabilities.  

MAHA ELEVATE funds must be used to provide whole-person FLM services that are otherwise not covered under original Medicare. Participates can use their awards for administrative costs, data collection and reporting, and infrastructure. 

Additional details are available on the MAHA ELEVATE webpage and in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. There is also an information session on April 2 for people who signed up for the MAHA ELEVATE listserv.

— Erin Solis, Manager, Practice & Payment at the American Academy of Family Physicians

Posted on March 26, 2026