CMS Cancels Making Care Primary Program
Analysis based on 9 articles · First reported Feb 09, 2026 · Last updated Feb 17, 2026
The cancellation of Making Care Primary by the United States===Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created significant uncertainty and distrust among healthcare providers, particularly those in rural areas. While CMS aims to save $750 million, the abrupt change and the shift to the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) program, which funds organizations rather than individual clinics, could lead to increased bureaucracy and potentially worsen the primary care crisis in the United States.
The United States===Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) abruptly cancelled the Making Care Primary program, a federal initiative designed to improve primary care in rural areas, just one year into its intended 10-year run. This decision, made during a period of federal cuts, has stunned nearly 700 practices across eight states, including 23 in United States===North Carolina, which were relying on up to $10 million in funding. CMS justified the cancellation by stating the program was not on track to meet its savings goals, aiming to save taxpayers $750 million. In its place, CMS' Innovation Center is launching a new 10-year program called Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD), which will direct funding to healthcare organizations rather than directly to primary care doctors and clinics. Doctors like Patricia Hall and CEOs like William Hathaway have expressed anger, sadness, and skepticism, fearing that the change will exacerbate the existing primary care crisis and increase bureaucracy, further hindering patient access to care.
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