What Is An ACO?

Here’s my paraphrased summary from the HHS (Health and Human Services) website about ACOs and the CMS site…

• Established on October 20, 2011, by CMS under PPACA
• ACOs create incentives for health care providers to work together to treat an individual patient across care settings – including doctor’s offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.
• The Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) will reward ACOs that lower their growth in health care costs while meeting performance standards on quality of care and putting patients first.
• An ACO refers to a group of providers and suppliers of services (e.g., hospitals, physicians, and others involved in patient care) that will work together to coordinate care for the Medicare Fee-For-Service patients they serve.
• The ACO will be responsible for maintaining a patient-centered focus and developing processes to promote evidence-based medicine, promote patient engagement, internally report on quality and cost, and buy phen375,  and coordinate care.

[To see more about our physician directed Accountable Care Solutions at inVentiv Medical Management, click here. Or contact me if you’re interested in how we’re applying these to support ACO and “ACO-like” organizations in their efforts to engage consumers and drive health outcomes.]