Today, the Mount Sinai Health System announced it had been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in a new Medicare alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Under CMS' Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, Mount Sinai will be one of almost 400 participants building dementia care programs across the country, working to increase care coordination and improve access to services and support, including respite care, for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
"CMS is excited to partner with the Mount Sinai Health System under the GUIDE Model," said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "GUIDE is a new approach to how Medicare will pay for the care of people living with dementia. The GUIDE participants are envisioning new ways to support not only people living with dementia, but also reduce strain on the people who care for them, so that more Americans can remain in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions."
Launched on Monday, July 1, the GUIDE Model will test a new payment approach for key supportive services furnished to people living with dementia, including comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support caregivers. People with dementia and their caregivers will have the assistance and support of a Care Navigator to help them access clinical and non-clinical services, such as meals and transportation, through community-based organizations.
"We are incredibly honored to be selected as a GUIDE site by CMS. This gives us the opportunity to provide the best care for patients with dementia and their care partners. As a new program track recipient, we look forward to working with our partners in primary care to develop a sustainable model to identify the patients who would benefit most from this care," said Audrey Chun, MD, Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Director of the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai. The Mount Sinai Health System will have a one-year implementation phase that will begin Tuesday, July 1, 2025, said Dr. Chun.
Mount Sinai's participation in the GUIDE Model will help people living with dementia and their caregivers have access to education and support, such as training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia. The GUIDE Model also provides respite services for certain people, enabling caregivers to take temporary breaks from their responsibilities. Respite is being tested under the GUIDE Model to assess its effect on helping caregivers continue to care for their loved ones at home, preventing or delaying the need for facility care.
"We are thrilled to participate in CMS's transformative new model and look forward to working alongside our geriatricians, social workers, and nurses, among others, to provide the best care to our patients. We have long advocated for coordinated care models, such as this one, that are value-based and promote a patient-centered approach tailored to the complexities involved in caring for people living with dementia," said Georges Naasan, MD, Medical Director for the Division of Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry in the Department of Neurology and Co-Medical Director of the Barbara and Maurice Deane Center for Wellness and Cognitive Health at Mount Sinai.
GUIDE participants represent a wide range of health care providers, including large academic medical centers, small group practices, community-based organizations, health systems, hospice agencies, and other practices.
This model delivers on a promise in the Biden Administration's Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers and aligns with the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease.
