Updated August 2026

Key facts

There are 246 unique GUIDE participants as of August 2026.

GUIDE services have no copay, coinsurance, or deductible for eligible families.

Your loved one must have Original Medicare Parts A and B, with Medicare as the primary payer.

You may contact a GUIDE participant directly. A doctor’s referral is not required for the first call.

Provider applications are closed, but family enrollment remains open.

The CMS GUIDE Model (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience), Medicare's dementia care program, allows eligible families to contact a participant directly. The participant assesses your loved one, records consent, and submits the enrollment information.

How do you apply for the Medicare GUIDE Program?

Start by checking your loved one’s eligibility and finding a GUIDE participant that serves their ZIP code. Contact the participant to request an assessment. If your loved one meets the rules and chooses to enroll, the participant records consent, sends the information for verification, and tells you when enrollment is confirmed.

Step 1: Check basic eligibility

There is no income or asset limit. Your loved one must meet every requirement below.

Requirement	What it means for your loved one
Dementia	A clinician on the participant’s roster must confirm it. Any stage may qualify.
Medicare	Original Medicare Parts A and B must be the primary payer.
Other programs	No Medicare Advantage, Special Needs Plan, PACE, or Medicare hospice benefit.
Living situation	No memory care or long-term nursing home stay of 101 days or more.
Location	Their ZIP code must be within the participant’s service area.
Enrollment	They cannot already be enrolled with another GUIDE participant.

Assisted-living residents may qualify if their facility is an approved residential care community partner. Since July 1, 2026, this tier excludes respite but includes caregiver education and support. Memory care residents cannot enroll.

Read who qualifies for GUIDE for details. The FAST Dementia Assessment estimates dementia stage; the care team makes the clinical assessment.

Check Your Eligibility: Takes about 2 minutes; no medical records needed.

Step 2: Find a participant that serves your ZIP code

Search the Medicare GUIDE Program Directory or browse GUIDE programs by state. Participants report telehealth availability. Confirm ZIP-code coverage and assessment format before scheduling.

Step 3: Contact the participant

Call or email to request an assessment. No physician referral is required for this first contact. A clinician on the participant’s roster must still confirm dementia.

For help finding an organization, call Manta Care at (917) 789-1269.

Step 4: Complete the assessment and consent process

The assessment may be in person or by telehealth. The team reviews cognition, daily abilities, dementia severity, and caregiver burden. Bring Medicare information and dementia records, then ask if anything else is needed.

After consent, the participant submits the information for verification and confirms enrollment. There is no published standard timeline.

Enrollment includes a care plan, care navigator, education, and 24/7 support. Some families qualify for the GUIDE respite benefit. See all GUIDE services.

Are Medicare GUIDE applications still open for families in 2026?

Yes. Eligible families may enroll with active GUIDE participants in 2026. The cycle that closed in early 2024 applied only to health care organizations seeking to become direct participants. It was not a patient deadline. New organizations may now take part only as Partner Organizations.

If you are a…	What “applications closed” means
Patient or caregiver	Enrollment is open if eligible.
Health care organization	Direct applications are permanently closed.
Potential partner	Contact an existing participant about partnership.

In short: provider applications are closed; family enrollment is open.

What are the requirements to apply for the Medicare GUIDE Program?

Your loved one needs dementia confirmed by a clinician on the participant’s roster, Original Medicare Parts A and B, Medicare as the primary payer, and an eligible residence. Medicare Advantage, PACE, hospice, long-term nursing home residence, and memory care exclude enrollment. There is no income or asset test.

Can you sign up for the CMS GUIDE Program online?

There is no single public online enrollment form for families. You can check eligibility and find a participant online, then call or email it. The participant handles the assessment, consent, submission, and enrollment confirmation. You do not send an application directly to Medicare.

Start with Check Your Eligibility. Manta Care is a directory service and is not affiliated with Medicare.

How do you apply for the GUIDE Program in your state?

The steps are the same everywhere: check eligibility, find a participant that serves your loved one's ZIP code, contact it, and complete the assessment and consent process. No state runs a separate application, and a participant listed for your state may not cover every ZIP code.

Browse GUIDE programs by state to compare local and telehealth options near you. Ask each participant whether it serves your loved one's ZIP code, accepts new patients, and offers an in-person or telehealth assessment. If your loved one lives in assisted living, also ask whether the facility is an approved residential care community partner.

What are common questions about Medicare GUIDE enrollment?

Families often ask about referrals, records, timing, cost, and changing participants. You can make the first call yourself, and enrollment costs nothing. Bring Medicare and dementia information to the assessment. Because timing and service areas vary, ask the participant for details about its process.

Do I need a doctor’s referral to contact a GUIDE participant?

No. You may contact one directly, but its clinician must confirm dementia.

What documents do I need to apply?

Bring Medicare information and available dementia records. Ask if anything else is needed.

How long does GUIDE enrollment take?

There is no published standard timeline. Timing varies by participant.

Does it cost anything to apply or enroll?

No. GUIDE services have no patient cost-sharing. Other medical care follows normal Medicare rules.

Can my loved one leave or switch GUIDE participants?

Yes. They may leave or switch participants without losing regular Medicare benefits.

How to Apply for the Medicare GUIDE Program in 2026