AHEAD Maryland Primary Care Programs

Overview

AHEAD (Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design) is a total cost of care model that states can voluntarily implement in partnership with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).

Maryland ended its previous Total Cost of Care Model in December 2025 and transitioned to the AHEAD Model in January 2026, continuing through December 2035.

Through AHEAD, Maryland aims to build a sustainable advanced primary care system that delivers high‑quality, whole‑person care to all Marylanders, improves health outcomes statewide, and reduces administrative burden for providers through all‑payer alignment. Enrollment for 2027 advanced primary care programs will begin in late Spring 2026. Updates will be posted to this page once more details are available.

 

Maryland’s AHEAD Primary Care Programs include:

Find out more about EQIP Primary Care.

Two participation options available:

  1. Primary Care AHEAD (PC AHEAD) – Medicare entry level program for non-MDPCP practices. Enrollment began in January 2026.
  2. Maryland Primary Care Program (MDPCP) – Medicare advanced primary care program. Current practices can re-enroll. Will continue until at least 2028.

Medicaid Advanced Primary Care Program – Medicaid entry level program for both MDPCP and non-MDPCP practices. All practices are required to co-participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs starting in 2027.

Resources

View external documentation for AHEAD.

Documentation

View CRISP documentation for AHEAD.

Webinar Recordings

View recordings of our webinars, covering tools used for the Medicaid Advanced Primary Care and Primary Care AHEAD programs below. Copies of the slide decks for these webinars are also available below.

Contact Us

Please reach to us for any additional information or feedback!