AAN Works to Ensure Neurology's Presence in CMS ACO Development

March 31, 2011

The AAN Medical Economics and Management Committee is reviewing the proposed rule regarding Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as the FTC-DOJ draft statement of policy. The AAN recognizes that these rules represent an excellent opportunity to meet the desired goals of better patient care and a reduction in the growth of health care expenditures. Ensuring a role for neurologists in these systems is paramount.

As early as this past December, the AAN urged CMS Administrator Don Berwick, MD, that ACOs must recognize the important role of specialists who provide high-quality, patient-centered care for Medicare beneficiaries with complex and high-cost chronic illnesses. In addition, physicians must have access to timely, detailed data in order to help them identify and implement opportunities to make cost and quality improvements.

Read the regulation.

The 60-day comment period ends June 6, 2011, for interested stakeholders and members of the public to provide feedback to CMS on the proposal. The AAN looks forward to working with CMS to ensure a role for neurologists in ACO development.

 email to a friend  |   print