For people with Original Medicare (Part B)
Extra help managing your health — at no cost to you.
Bamboo Access is a digital health program that works alongside your own primary care provider. A care team checks in with you every month, helps you get to the right care at the right time, and sends updates back to your doctor.
You keep your doctor. You keep your Medicare. You just get more support between visits.
- ✳$0 — no copay, no bill
- ✳No referral needed
- ✳Leave any time
Most Bamboo Access participants are referred to us by their own care organization, so we can work directly with their primary care team.
Referral partner names shown as examples. A referral is not required to join.
Why Bamboo Access exists
Medicare covers your care. Bamboo Access helps you use it well.
A lot happens between doctor visits. Blood pressure drifts. A new medicine is confusing. A lab test gets missed. Some weeks feel heavier than others. Most of that never reaches your primary care provider until the next appointment — or until you end up in the emergency room.
Bamboo Access closes that gap. We reach out on a regular schedule, ask a few plain questions, watch for early warning signs, point you to help that fits, and loop your primary care provider in with what we learn. We are an addition to your care — never a replacement for it.
This program is offered through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center ACCESS model, and it is built on Bamboo Health's Real-Time Care Intelligence™ — the same care collaboration network trusted by health systems and health plans across the country.
Our north star
Getting you to the right provider at the right time — so fewer problems turn into emergencies.
The program measures many clinical outcomes, and we take all of them seriously. But we judge ourselves on three things:
- 1Fewer emergency department visits that could have been handled sooner, somewhere calmer.
- 2Fewer hospital admissions.
- 3Fewer readmissions after you come home.
Three tracks
Pick the support that matches what you're managing.
You can be in more than one track at the same time. Tap a track to see exactly what happens, what we ask of you, and how to enroll.
Enhanced Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic care (eCKM)
The most hands-on track. It's built for people whose heart, kidney and metabolic conditions are closely connected — for example high blood pressure with diabetes and reduced kidney function — and where small changes need to be caught quickly.
What happens
- ✳A named care team member who knows your history and follows your numbers with you.
- ✳Connected devices, sent to your home at no cost: a blood pressure cuff and a scale that send readings on their own. No smartphone, computer or Wi-Fi needed.
- ✳We track the lab values the program requires — kidney function (eGFR), urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio, hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol — and tell you when one is overdue.
- ✳Medication review in plain language: what each one is for, what to ask your provider, what to do about side effects.
- ✳When readings drift out of range, we act early — a call, a nudge toward a same-week appointment, or a direct message to your primary care provider.
- ✳Help after a hospital stay, so the follow-up visit and the new medicine list don't fall through.
What we ask of you
- ·Take a blood pressure reading most days and step on the scale most days. It takes about a minute.
- ·One check-in each month by phone, text or secure message — about 15 minutes.
- ·Answer short questions between check-ins when we send them.
- ·Keep your lab work up to date with your own provider. We'll remind you.
Enroll in this track
Text ECKM to 121213
Or call 1-855-000-0000 and say "enhanced CKM." Message and data rates may apply.
See all enrollment optionsWhat's involved
Small effort from you. Real work from us.
10–15
minutes a month
One check-in, on your terms — phone call, text message or secure message. You choose which, and you can change it.
1
minute a day for readings
In the CKM tracks only. The cuff and scale send readings on their own — nothing to type, nothing to remember, no internet at home required.
$0
from you, ever
Bamboo Access participants have no financial responsibility for our program. No copay, no coinsurance, no deductible, no bill.
What your first weeks look like
-
Day 1
You say yes
Text a keyword or call us. We confirm you have Original Medicare and take a few details. About five minutes.
-
Days 2–4
Welcome call
You meet your care team member. You talk through your conditions, your medicines, and what you actually want help with.
-
Week 1
Devices arrive
CKM tracks: your cuff and scale show up ready to use. We call to walk through the first reading with you.
-
Week 2
Your doctor is looped in
We send your primary care provider a summary of your plan, and keep sending updates as things change.
How the program is measured
The outcomes we're accountable for — spelled out.
These clinical outcomes are the true function of the program, and they are what the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects the ACCESS model to deliver. We share progress with you and with your primary care provider.
Heart, kidney and metabolic outcomes
- ·Blood pressure brought to and held at goal
- ·Blood sugar control, measured by hemoglobin A1c
- ·Kidney function tracked over time (eGFR) and albumin in the urine tested on schedule
- ·Cholesterol management, including the right medicine when it's indicated
- ·Weight and body mass index trends
- ·Taking medicines as prescribed, and stopping the ones that no longer help
- ·Preventive care completed: vaccines, foot and eye checks, cancer screening
Behavioral health outcomes
- ·Screening for depression and anxiety, and a plan when a screen is positive
- ·Symptoms improving on standard measures over time
- ·Getting connected to behavioral health care, and how long that took
- ·Follow-up within seven days after a behavioral health emergency visit or hospital stay
- ·Substance use identified early and treatment offered
- ·Loneliness, caregiver strain and unmet daily needs addressed
- ·Your own report of your well-being and confidence managing your health
Access and use of care — our north star
- ·Emergency department visits that could have been prevented
- ·Hospital admissions
- ·Readmissions within 30 days of going home
- ·A follow-up visit actually happening after a discharge
- ·Time from "I need to be seen" to being seen
- ·Care plans shared with your primary care provider, and gaps closed
Every measure above matters. This column is the one we hold ourselves to.
Quick check
Is Bamboo Access right for you?
Four questions, about thirty seconds. Nothing is saved and nothing is sent anywhere.
Are you enrolled in Original Medicare Part B — not a Medicare Advantage plan?
Do you see a primary care provider, even if it's only once in a while?
Are you managing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart or kidney disease, extra weight, or your mental health?
Are you willing to check in once a month for at least 90 days?
What it costs you
Nothing. Not a copay, not a coinsurance, not a bill.
Bamboo Access participants carry no financial responsibility for our program — including the connected devices, the check-ins and the clinical team behind them. Your Medicare benefits are unchanged, and your other doctors bill exactly as they do today.
One thing to know
Other organizations participating in the ACCESS model may bill Medicare's standard 20% coinsurance for their services. Bamboo Health does not. If another ACCESS provider contacts you, it's fair to ask what you'll owe before you sign up.
For family and caregivers
If you're the one keeping track of everything, you can share the load.
Adult children, spouses and caregivers help most of our participants get started. With your family member's permission, you can be on the welcome call, be listed as a contact, and hear from the care team when something changes.
You don't have to be local. You don't have to be technical. Call 1-855-000-0000 and we'll walk you through what enrolling looks like.
- Help them enrollYou can start the call or the text on their behalf, with them present to give consent.
- Set up the devicesWe'll talk you through the cuff and the scale so the first readings go smoothly.
- Stay informedWith written permission, we keep you in the loop instead of leaving you to guess.
Enroll today. It takes one text message.
Text the keyword for the track you want to 121213. Not sure which one? Text HELLO and we'll figure it out together — or call and talk to a person.
Enhanced CKM track
Text ECKM
to 121213
Closest follow-up, connected devices, lab tracking.
CKM track
Text CKM
to 121213
Heart, kidney and metabolic support, month by month.
Behavioral health track
Text BH
to 121213
Monthly check-ins, real resources, a clinical team behind them.
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET · Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET. Interpreters available at no cost. Message and data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out at any time.
Questions people ask
Straight answers.
Can I be in more than one track?
Yes. Many people are in a CKM track and the behavioral health track at the same time, because physical and behavioral health pull on each other. Tell us both and we'll coordinate so you're not answering the same questions twice.
Can I work with more than one ACCESS provider?
You can, as long as they're covering different tracks. Two providers cannot serve you in the same track at the same time. So you could be with Bamboo Health for behavioral health and another organization for CKM — but not with two organizations for CKM.
Am I locked in?
Your choice of provider for a track holds for 90 days. After that, you're free to switch to a different ACCESS provider. And you can disenroll from the program entirely at any time — just tell us, and it's done. No penalty, no effect on your Medicare.
Do I need Original Medicare?
Yes. You must have Original Medicare, also called fee-for-service Medicare, with Part B. People enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan are not eligible for the ACCESS model. If you're unsure which you have, call us and we'll check with you.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
No. Most of our participants are referred by their care organization so we can work alongside their primary care team, but you can enroll yourself. Nobody's permission is required.
Will my own doctor know what's going on?
Yes, and that's the point. We send your primary care provider a summary when you start and updates as things change — new readings, new concerns, gaps we've closed. You stay with your doctor; we make their job easier.
What does it cost?
Nothing for Bamboo Access. No copay, no coinsurance, no deductible, no charge for the connected devices. Other ACCESS providers may bill the standard 20% Medicare coinsurance for their services — we don't.
Do I need a smartphone or internet at home?
No. The blood pressure cuff and scale send readings on their own, and you can do every check-in by phone call if you prefer. If you'd rather use text messages or an app, that works too.
Is this a Medicare plan, or a replacement for my doctor?
Neither. Bamboo Access is an added support program under a Medicare model. It doesn't change your coverage, your premiums, your prescriptions or your providers. Your doctor is still your doctor.
Who sees my health information?
Your care team, your primary care provider, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as the program requires. We never sell your information. Read the privacy notice for the full detail.
Talk to a person
- Phone1-855-000-0000 · TTY 711
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET · Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET - TextText ECKM, CKM, BH or HELLO to 121213
- Emailaccess@bamboohealth.com
- MailBamboo Access Program
[Street address placeholder]
[City, State ZIP placeholder] - In a crisisCall or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day. Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
The fine print, briefly
Terms and conditions
Who's eligible, what you agree to, the 90-day provider commitment, how to disenroll, how text messaging works, and the limits of what this program does.
Read the full terms and conditionsPrivacy
What we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with — your primary care provider and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — how long we keep it, and your rights. We never sell your information.
Read the privacy noticeAccessibility
We aim to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 Level AA. Large type, strong contrast and keyboard navigation are built in. If any part of this site or program is hard to use, call 1-855-000-0000 or email access@bamboohealth.com and we will provide the information another way, including large print, audio and interpretation, at no cost.