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Solutions · ACO LEAD

LEAD-ready today. REACH-supported through the sunset.

The Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model replaces ACO REACH on January 1, 2027. The ACOs that thrive in a 10-year model will be the ones whose payment operations transition cleanly — Scalesz Pay is built for exactly that.

The clock is running

The REACH-to-LEAD timeline

A 10-year commitment starts with a 6-month transition. Here's what's ahead.

  1. March 31, 2026

    CMS released the LEAD Request for Applications

  2. May 17, 2026

    LEAD applications due for Performance Year 1

  3. Sept – Dec 2026

    LEAD Implementation Period — build networks, prepare operations (no financial risk)

  4. Dec 31, 2026

    ACO REACH ends

  5. Jan 1, 2027

    LEAD Performance Year 1 begins — your first provider payments under the new model

Zero-disruption transition

Your payment operations, continuous across models

If you run REACH payments on Scalesz today, LEAD is a configuration change — not a re-implementation. If you're coming from spreadsheets or a legacy vendor, six weeks gets you live.

CMS files, ingested directly

Weekly claim reduction, monthly membership, and quarterly attribution files load straight into the platform — under REACH now, under LEAD next.

Capitation templates, remapped

APO, PCC, and TCC arrangements, sub-capitation splits, and carve-outs carry into LEAD structures as template updates with new effective dates.

Provider payments, uninterrupted

835s, EOPs, and EFT disbursements keep flowing on schedule through the model transition — your provider groups shouldn't feel the switch at all.

10-year audit trail from day one

A decade-long model demands durable payment records. Every calculation traces from source file to disbursement, permanently.

Complex populations, complex splits

LEAD emphasizes organizations serving high-needs populations — where downstream arrangements get complicated. Exception-level configuration is the default, not an add-on.

Sized for your ACO

Modular pricing means smaller ACOs entering LEAD get enterprise-grade payment integrity without enterprise procurement.

FAQ

ACO LEAD, answered

What is the ACO LEAD Model?
The Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model is a voluntary, 10-year CMS Innovation Center model beginning January 1, 2027. It succeeds ACO REACH, which ends December 31, 2026, and is designed to support long-term total-cost-of-care accountability — including for organizations serving complex, high-needs Medicare populations — without benchmark rebasing across the 10-year span.
When does ACO REACH end and what happens to my payment operations?
ACO REACH ends December 31, 2026. LEAD Performance Year 1 begins January 1, 2027, with an implementation period from September to December 2026. Payment mechanics you run under REACH — capitation, sub-capitation splits, claim reduction distributions — need to carry into the new model without interrupting provider payments. Scalesz Pay supports REACH contracts through the sunset and is LEAD-ready today.
Is Scalesz Pay ready for LEAD?
Yes — LEAD-ready today. The platform’s core engine (CMS file ingestion, CMS-methodology attribution, configurable capitation templates, 835/EOP outputs, EFT disbursement) is model-agnostic and already configured for LEAD payment structures, so ACOs entering LEAD can stand up payment operations before Performance Year 1.
How long does implementation take?
Typical implementation is six weeks from kickoff to first payment cycle — well within the LEAD implementation period for ACOs planning a January 2027 start.

Map your REACH-to-LEAD payment transition

Request a complimentary LEAD-transition strategy session — a no-cost working session where we map your current payment arrangements onto the LEAD model and identify what changes before January 2027.

Request a Strategy Session Or book a platform demo →