Over One Hundred Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

July 13, 2012

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services named 88 new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to participate in the Medicare Shared Saving Program (MSSP). The first 27 MSSP ACOs were named in April.

The Shared Savings Program is a pathway for a group of providers to begin functioning as ACOs – organizations that assume accountability for the cost and quality of care for a defined population of patients. The program was mandated by the Affordable Care Act in order to improve the quality of care and reduce costs of care delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. CMS offers also the Advanced Payment Initiative, a supplementary incentive program for selected participants to encourage certain rural and physician–based entities to apply for the Shared Savings Program. Starting 2012, new MSSP ACO applications will be accepted annually.

In addition to MSSP ACOs, CMS has also a Pioneer ACO initiative designed for organizations that are already experienced in care coordination. Pioneer ACOs will test the effectiveness of a population–based payment model intended to replace some or all of the fee–for–service payments with a prospective monthly payment. Currently, 32 organizations are participating in the Pioneer ACO Model.

If you are participating in an ACO, please contact Amanda Becker at abecker@aan.com

Read more about Accountable Care Organizations.

Read more about other new payment and delivery models.

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