Accountable Care News

Six ACOs Now Accredited by National Committee for Quality Assurance

February 19, 2013 - Six health care organizations have now been accredited as ACOs through National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) accreditation process. NCQA provides the country with an independent evaluation of an organization’s ability to coordinate and be accountable for high-quality, efficient and patient-centered care that is expected of accountable care organizations (ACOs). Full Article

National Survey Results on Accountable Healthcare Communications

January 19, 2013 - Maricich Healthcare Communications teamed with the American Medical Group Association (AMGA), the Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP) and the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) to conduct the first healthcare executive survey to study change management communications for accountable healthcare. Those survey results are now available to view at www.maricich.com/aco. Full Article

Study Estimates that ACOs Are Now Serving 1 in 10 Americans

November 29, 2012 - A new study titled "The ACO Surprise" conducted by Oliver Wyman, a healthcare management consulting firm, estimates that 25 to 31 million Americans are currently receiving healthcare services from an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). An ACO is defined in this study as providers participating in a Medicare Pioneer ACO project, Medicare Shared Savings program, a Medicaid coordinated care initiative, Physician Group Practice (PGP) Transition, or in a shared savings/risk arrangement with a commercial payer. Full Article

Accountable Physician Groups and Payment Reform

September 25, 2012 - In the current accountable care movement, the theory is that payment for value will improve the quality of care Americans receive while containing costs. To do that, various methods of paying for medical services are being tested to support changes in health care delivery and to supplant the current fee-for-service payment method that most believe is costly, inefficient and can be a perverse incentive for providers to provide more unnecessary services. Full Article

Progress in the US Lags Behind European Nations in Deaths Avoidable Through Health Care

September 17, 2012 - Researchers Ellen Nolte and C. Martin McKee recently published their study comparing the amenable mortality rates (deaths that could have been prevented with health care) in the United states with three Western European Nations in Health Affairs. They found that while all of the countries’ amenable mortality rates were declining, the overall rate of the U.S lagged behind the three European nations. The authors hypothesized that access to health care was a contributing factor. The difference between the three European countries and the United States is universal access to health care regardless of age. The following is the abstract of their findings: Full Article

William Sage, MD, JD, of the University of Texas at Austin, Analyzes Jusctice Roberts' ACA Decision

July 3, 2012 - William Sage, MD, JD, Vice Provost for Health Affairs, James R. Dougherty Chair for Faculty Excellence at The University of Texas at Austin, has written an insightful commentary on the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. In “Preserving The Republic: Chief Justice Roberts’ Affordable Care Act Opinion,” published in the June 30, 2012, Health Affairs Blog, Dr. Sage applauds Justice Robert’s decision, analyzes his opinion, and reminds us that, to be effective, health reform and the ACA must address some fundamental issues: Full Article

Robert Pearl, MD, Named New Chair of Council of Accountable Physician Practices

June 25, 2012 - Robert Pearl, MD, Executive Director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group Selected as New Chair of AMGA’S Council of Accountable Physician Practices The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) announced today thar Robert Pearl, MD, executive director/CEO of The Permanente Medical Group and president/CEO of the MidAtlantic Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, will assume the role of chair of AMGA’s Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP), effective July 1. Dr. Francis J. Crosson, former executive director of The Permanente Federation, founder and chair of CAPP since its inception in 2002, will be stepping down as chair at the time of his retirement from The Permanente Medical Group. On July 1, he will take the position of Vice President, Physician Satisfaction- Care Delivery and Payment at the American Medical Association. Full Article

Henry Ford Health System's Award-Winning Quality Efforts

June 18, 2012 - A 2011 recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Henry Ford Health System in Detroit has achieved recognition as a top-performing organization for excellence in innovation, efficiency, and quality improvement. Examples of Henry Ford Health System’s award-winning efforts in quality improvement include: Full Article

27 New ACOs Forming Under the Medicare Shared Savings Program

April 13, 2012 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced the selection of the first 27 accountable care organizations (ACOs) to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Through better coordination and communication among healthcare providers, the selected organizations will be responsible for improving care for nearly 375,000 Medicare beneficiaries in eighteen states. All those that succeed in meeting the established quality performance measures while reducing the overall cost of care may share in the cost savings with Medicare. Those measures relate to improved care coordination and patient safety, providing appropriate preventive health services, improving care for at-risk populations, and enhancing the patient experience of care. Full Article

Kaiser Family Foundation Implementation Timeline

February 23, 2012 - Kaiser Family Foundation's Health Reform Source website provides a wealth of timely health reform information, including an "Implementation Timeline." The user-friendly interactive timeline explains how and when the provisions of the Affordable Care Act will be implemented over the next several years, including Accountable Care Organizations through Medicare. Full Article

Stay Informed