For more than a decade, nephrology practices have participated in Innovation Center kidney‑focused models—beginning with ESRD Seamless Care Organizations (“ESCOs”) under the Comprehensive ESRD Care (“CEC”) Model (2015-2021), followed by today’s Kidney Care Choices (“KCC”) Model (2022-2027). With KCC scheduled to end in December 2027, kidney care providers are approaching a critical transition point. The Long‑term Enhanced ACO Design (“LEAD”) Model, for which CMS released the Request for Applications (“RFA”) on March 31, 2026 (revised April 15, 2026), represents the next phase of CMS’s value‑based care strategy—but it differs fundamentally from the kidney‑specific models that preceded it.
Read the full article: The LEAD Model—Kidney Care’s Value-Based Care Journey LEADs Here //
Source: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=ca0415d2-7ee8-4856-a859-31ed7880da16