This 15-minute highlight video captures key moments from an hour-long live fireside chat between StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes and Abe Sutton, Deputy Administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), for an unfiltered look at how CMS is thinking about technology, affordability, and the future of federal healthcare payment.

Abe brings a rare combination of startup experience and federal policy expertise to his current role. Before joining CMS in January 2025, he co-founded two health services companies and served in senior health policy roles at the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

In this conversation, he breaks down how CMS designs and tests new payment models, what the ACCESS model means for technology innovators, and how the government is creating reimbursement pathways that reward outcomes rather than volume. He also addresses what founders get wrong when they approach CMS, why building on genuine clinical value is the most durable strategy, and what he is most excited to see unlocked over the next five years.

The highlight features a handful of the many questions Abe answered from StartUp Health community members representing companies across diagnostics, AI clinical tools, dementia care, digital therapeutics, and rural health, making for a wide-ranging, practical look at the current policy landscape and where the opportunities are.

✅ Want to be "in the room" and ask your own questions? Join StartUp Health to be part of live conversations like this, learn more at startuphealth.com.

💵 Outcome-Based Payments – CMS pays providers and innovators based on measurable health outcomes like A1C, BMI, and overall patient improvement, incentivizing effective care rather than volume of services.

🧠 Innovation Pathways – The CMS Innovation Center allows new technologies and payment models to be deployed without waiting for new laws, providing a fast track for startups and digital health solutions.

🌐 Market Access & Regulation – Innovators must understand regulations and align business models with CMS goals to avoid relying on loopholes that may be closed in the future.

🤝 Technology & Caregiver Integration – Startups can leverage AI and caregiver data to support patients, reduce unnecessary utilization, and manage chronic care, including dementia-focused programs.

🏥 Rural Health Focus – CMS provides higher payments for rural patients to reflect higher engagement costs and improve access through technology and scalable solutions.

📊 Deflationary Impact – Innovations are encouraged to reduce overall system costs by preventing unnecessary interventions and optimizing care delivery.

🚀 Rapid Scaling Advice – Sutton encourages targeting large-scale interventions rather than small pilots, emphasizing big opportunities that align with CMS objectives and taxpayer value.

🎯 Evidence-Based Approach – Proposals are evaluated on clinical outcomes, cost avoidance potential, and ability to scale in Medicare populations, rather than existing uptake in Part B.

🔄 Cross-Sector Collaboration – Innovators, investors, and health transformers are invited to join the StartUp Health community to collaborate on scalable health solutions and policy-informed approaches.