AHEAD Model

Background

Governor Wes Moore joined the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in signing Maryland’s state agreement to participate in the federal States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model on November 1, 2024. Under the AHEAD Model Maryland will continue state-wide efforts to improve healthcare quality and control costs started under the current Total Cost of Care (TCOC) Model agreement with CMS. AHEAD seeks to drive state and regional health care transformation and multi-payer alignment, with the goal of improving the total health of a state population and lowering costs across all payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private coverage.

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) successfully applied to participate in the AHEAD Model which CMS announced in November 2023. On July 2nd, 2024 Governor Wes Moore announced that the MDH and HSCRC received grant funding from CMS to support Maryland’s implementation of the AHEAD Model. The funding and new model will enable Maryland to build on its unique all-payer hospital rate setting system, expanding its focus on primary care, population health, and health equity. The implementation of the AHEAD Model is set to begin on January 1, 2026.

Key AHEAD Documents

AHEAD State Agreement	State Agreement State Agreement Summary State Agreement Summary Meeting Recording
Notice of Funding Opportunity	State Response to NOFO Application Summary

Maryland Commission on Health Equity

The Maryland Commission on Health Equity (MCHE) serves as the official AHEAD Model governance body for Maryland. Meetings are open to the public. Meeting materials and recordings can be found on the MCHE website.

Advisory Committees

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) convened three committees to advise the State on the future of Maryland’s agreement with CMS, including evaluating the AHEAD Model. These committees helped advise the State in the development of the AHEAD NOFO response.

The Population Health Transformation Advisory Committee (P-TAC) provides advice to MDH and HSCRC to transform the state's approach to equity-centered population health improvement.
The Healthcare Transformation Advisory Committee (H-TAC) provides advice on all-payer cost savings targets, hospital quality improvement, and continued transformation of Maryland’s healthcare delivery system.
The Primary Care Program Transformation Advisory Committee (PCP-TAC) provides advice on primary care spending targets and the future of a multi-payer aligned primary care program.

Advisory Committee Meeting Materials

Advisory Committee	Meeting Dates & Materials
Population Health Transformation Advisory Committee (P-TAC)	Monday, February 5, 2024 at 1:00PM-3:00PM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Monday, March 4, 2024 at 1:00PM-3:00PM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Summary of Comments
Healthcare Transformation Advisory Committee (H-TAC)	Friday, January 19, 2024 at 1:00PM-3:00PM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Friday, February 16, 2024 at 1:00PM-3:00PM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Summary of Comments Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 8:00AM-10:00AM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording (PW: xH&7iN.*)
Primary Care Program Transformation Advisory Committee (PCP-TAC)	Friday, January 26, 2024 at 8:30AM-10:30AM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Friday, February 23, 2024 at 8:30AM-10:30AM Meeting Materials Meeting Recording Summary of Comments

Advisory Committee (P-TAC, H-TAC, PCP-TAC) Membership