This overview is excerpted from Manatt on Health, Manatt’s subscription service that provides in-depth insights and analysis focused on the legal, policy and market developments.

The CMS Innovation Center has officially launched the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, in which 390 participating academic medical systems, small group practices and clinics, hospice agencies, community-based organizations, and other health care providers will develop Dementia Care Programs (DCPs) to deliver comprehensive dementia care to Medicare enrollees. The 96 participants in the Established Program Track—mostly equipped with existing care delivery services and interprofessional staff meeting the model’s DCP requirements—began implementation on July 1. The remaining 294 New Program Track participants that require additional time to develop their DCPs will launch on July 1, 2025.

The GUIDE Model will provide coordinated dementia care management, caregiver education, and respite services to older adults with dementia and their designated caregivers over eight years. Participating provider organizations will receive monthly adjusted capitated payments to deliver care based on their performance against a set of patient population and quality of care measures. The GUIDE Model is designed to encourage equitable, accessible care delivery across diverse geographic regions and racial and ethnic communities, as Black and Hispanic adults are disproportionately impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.