Cornbread Hemp said it has secured an exclusive contract with Alliant Purchasing, a national Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) whose member network includes Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) designated to participate in the landmark Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) administered by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).
The contract names Cornbread Hemp as the exclusive hemp product supplier within that network, creating a purchasing and distribution infrastructure that serves 68,000 healthcare provider locations nationwide — before the program's April 2026 launch for ACO REACH and EOM participants.
The CMMI pilot represents the first time hemp-derived CBD products will be made available to Medicare beneficiaries through participating ACOs. Under the program, participating organizations in the ACO REACH, Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM), and Long-term Enhance ACO Design (LEAD) models may elect to offer eligible Medicare beneficiaries up to $500 per year in hemp products, furnished directly by a qualified physician as part of a documented clinical consultation. Medicare itself does not pay for the products; the cost is borne by the participating ACO as part of their model participation.
Cornbread Hemp enters this system not as a vendor seeking access, but as the designated exclusive supplier within a GPO network already serving 68,000 healthcare provider locations nationwide — with the quality credentials, clinical infrastructure, and compliance profile that institutional healthcare demands.
"Cornbread Hemp was built on a simple conviction: that clean, organic, rigorously tested hemp products can meaningfully improve people's lives," said Eric Zipperle, co-founder and CEO, Cornbread Hemp. "The CMMI pilot is the most important moment in the history of the hemp industry, and we believe Cornbread is uniquely positioned to serve it. We have the certifications, the infrastructure, the brand reputation, and the category expertise to deliver for Medicare beneficiaries who deserve access to the best hemp products America produces."
