ASPIRE: New CMS payment model aims to support high- and rising-risk children

ASPIRE: New CMS payment model aims to support high- and rising-risk children

From Moving Medicine by American Medical Association

March 25, 2026 · 20 min · Episode 262

About this episode

This episode discusses the ASPIRE payment model aimed at supporting high-risk and rising-risk children in Medicaid.

In this episode of Moving Medicine, AMA CEO John Whyte, MD, MPH, talks with Abe Sutton, JD, director for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and deputy administrator for CMS, about the potential benefits and challenges of a new CMS payment model called ASPIRE, designed to transform how high-risk and rising-risk children are supported within Medicaid. Find out what this means for pediatricians, subspecialists and patient families. Learn more at CMS.gov. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🩺 The AMA is your powerful ally, focused on addressing the issues important to you, so you can focus on what matters most — patients. We will meet this challenge together. Join us: https://ama-assn.co/JoinRenew 🥼 Go to https://ama-assn.co/FightingForDocs to learn more about our AMA advocacy priorities, including: ▹ Reforming Medicare payment ▹ Fighting scope creep ▹ Fixing prior authorization ▹ Reducing physician burnout ▹ Making technology work for physicians 📺 Subscribe to @americanmedicalassociation on YouTube: https://ama-assn.co/youTube 📧 Sign up for #MorningRounds and free daily newsletters from the AMA: https://ama-assn.co/Newsletters 💬 Follow #AMA on social media: https://ama-assn.co/Social

People in this episode

Host: John Whyte

Guest: Abe Sutton

Topics covered

  • CMS payment model
  • high-risk children
  • Medicaid
  • pediatric care

Keywords

  • CMMI
  • pediatricians
  • subspecialists
  • patient families

Mentioned in this episode

Products: ASPIRE

Books & works: #MorningRounds

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