HHS announces 89 new accountable care organizations

Eighty-nine new accountable care organizations began serving 1.2 million patients with Medicare in 40 states and Washington, D.C. on July 1.

“Better coordinated care is good for patients and it saves money,” Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated in an HHS Service news release. “We applaud every one of these doctors, hospitals, health centers and others for working together to ensure millions of people with Medicare get better, more patient-centered, coordinated care.”

The 89 new accountable care organizations (ACOs) have entered into agreements with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and other ACO-related initiatives are made possible by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Federal savings from the initiative, according to the release, could add up to $940 million over 4 years.

The new ACOs bring the total number participating in Medicare shared savings initiatives to 154, including the 32 participating in the testing of the Pioneer ACO Model by CMS’s Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and 6 Physician Group Practice Transition Demonstration organizations founded in January 2011. The selected ACOs, according to the release, operate in a wide range of areas around the United States, with almost half being physician-driven and serving fewer than 10,000 beneficiaries.

For 2012, CMS has established 33 quality measures relating to care coordination that ACOs must meet. The issues include patient safety, appropriate use of preventive health services, patient and caregiver experience of care and improved care for at-risk populations.

Beginning this year, the release noted, ACO applications will be accepted annually. The application period for organizations wishing to participate in the MSSP beginning in January 2013 is Aug. 1-Sept. 6.

Reference:

www.hhs.gov