CMS ACCESS Model
CMS ACCESS Model
Care for depression and anxiety, through Medicare.
Total Life takes part in the CMS ACCESS Model, a Medicare program for people living with ongoing health conditions. If you have Original Medicare, you can sign up with us directly.
What is the ACCESS Model?
A Medicare program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created ACCESS to help people manage long-term health conditions with more support between doctor visits.
You choose your provider
You sign up with the organization you want to work with. Total Life takes part in the behavioral health, eCKM and CKM programs to support health and wellness.
Your Medicare stays the same
Joining does not change your Medicare benefits or coverage. You can still see any doctor who takes Medicare, exactly as you do now.
Who can sign up
- You have Original Medicare, also called Traditional Medicare, as your main insurance.
- You are living with depression or anxiety, or have been treated for either in the past.
- You are not already signed up for behavioral health care under ACCESS with another organization.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you are not eligible for ACCESS. Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers and work differently. Total Life still offers therapy through most Medicare Advantage plans, so please call us and we will find the right option for you.
Not sure which kind of Medicare you have? Sign up below or call us and we will check for you.
What it costs
Medicare pays for ACCESS services, and normally you would pay 20% of the cost. Total Life covers that 20% for every patient in the program. This applies to everyone equally.
Before you sign up
A few things we want you to know first.
- Taking part is your choice
- You decide whether to join. Nothing happens to your Medicare if you choose not to.
- You can leave
- After 90 days you may leave the program or move to a different organization.
- Not everyone is placed
- CMS is studying how well ACCESS works. Some people who sign up are placed in a comparison group and will not receive ACCESS services. If that happens to you, we will tell you and help you find other care.
- We will talk to you first
- Someone from our team will call to confirm your Medicare coverage and answer your questions before you are signed up. You can elect to do ACCESS or see a therapist one to one. The choice is yours.
What to expect
Here is what happens once you are signed up, so there are no surprises.
- In the first week
- Our Care Center calls you, confirms your Medicare coverage, and answers your questions. We check your eligibility for the program.
- Start the program
- You have access to daily live wellness classes and recorded health content.
- Every month
- You answer a short set of questions about your mood. It takes about two minutes.
- Between sessions
- You have access to live wellness classes, recorded classes and other resources through your Wellness Membership, included at no extra cost.
- Ongoing
- You can enjoy the program for as long as you want, as long as you are doing the monthly check-in progress updates.
How to get started
Five steps. The first one takes about three minutes.
- Sign up Fill in the short form on this page, or call us and we will do it with you over the phone.
- Confirm your eligibility with our Care Center We call you, check your Medicare coverage, and answer any questions before anything is finalised.
- Log in to your Wellness Membership We send you your login details. This is where the live classes and other resources live.
- Complete a short check-in each month A few questions about how you have been feeling. About two minutes. This is how we track whether the program is working for you.
- Join at least one live class a month Classes run every day, so there is always one that fits your schedule.
Your Wellness Membership
Included with the program, at no extra cost to you.
- Live wellness classesGentle movement, strength and balance, breath work and mindfulness, led by real instructors.
- Recorded fitness classesWatch any time, at your own pace, as often as you like.
- Wellness programsGuided series you can follow week by week.
- PodcastsListen while you walk, cook or rest.
- Monthly brain boostersShort activities to keep your mind sharp, refreshed each month.
- Meditation and group journalingGuided meditation sessions, and journaling classes where you write alongside others.
Sign up
Fill this in and a member of our team will call you within one business day. There is no cost or obligation for making an enquiry.
By pressing submit I confirm I have read and agree to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, Consent to Telehealth, Consumer Health Data Notice and HIPAA Notice.
Prefer to speak to someone? Call 1-800-567-LIFE, Monday to Friday.
How to check we are legitimate
If you have been warned about Medicare scams, good. You should be careful about who you give your information to. Here is how to confirm Total Life for yourself, without taking our word for it.
- Check the CMS list
- CMS publishes every organization taking part in the ACCESS Model on its own website. Look for Total Life on the CMS ACCESS Model page.
- Check Medicare.gov
- From September 15, 2026, Medicare.gov lists the ACCESS organizations you can sign up with. Total Life will be listed there.
- Call Medicare directly
- You can call Medicare on 1-800-MEDICARE and ask about the ACCESS Model. They can confirm the program is real.
- We will never ask for payment
- There is no fee to join and no charge to you for ACCESS services. Anyone asking you to pay to sign up is not us.
For doctors and referring clinicians
If you look after a patient who could benefit from behavioral health support, you can refer them to Total Life under the ACCESS Model.
Under ACCESS, clinicians may bill a co-management payment for reviewing and acting on patient updates we send you. You do not need to take part in the model yourself to bill for this, and there is no cost-sharing for the patient.
Contact our partnerships team or call 1-800-567-LIFE.
Total Life is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of Medicare, CMS, or any government agency. Total Life takes part in the CMS ACCESS Model as a participating organization. Therapy services are provided by licensed clinicians in the state where the patient lives. Total Life is HIPAA-compliant.