An accountable care organization is a group of health care providers with collective responsibility for patient care that helps providers coordinate services—delivering high-quality care while holding down costs.
The theory behind ACOs is that well-coordinated care can improve health care quality while decreasing duplication of services, reducing the risk of errors and complications, and lowering costs. This brief provides an overview of ACOs.
Will this new approach to health care delivery live up to the dual promises of reducing costs and improving quality? This Health Policy Brief provides an overview of ACOs, their origins, and the current status of adoption by Medicare and private health insurance plans.
In this Health Affairs article, authors propose a new approach to help achieve more integrated and efficient care by fostering local organizational accountability for quality and cost through performance measurement and “shared savings” payment reform.
ACOs are designed to transform how health care is delivered by sharing financial awards among providers if they realize savings in health care spending. This review published in the BNA Health Care Policy Report takes a look at regulatory policy statements related to the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
RWJF provided formal comments to CMS on the proposed rule for the new Medicare Shared Savings Program for ACOs. These comments included the recommendation to look to existing regional alliances as key partners in payment reform for a given market.
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March 22, 2013 | Human Capital Blog Post
This is the first in a series of essays, reprinted from the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics’ eMagazine, in which scholars who attended the recent AcademyHealth National Health Policy Conference reflect on the experience.
November 21, 2011 | Journal Article
The revised Medicare Shared Savings Program makes concessions and compromises to encourage a fundamental effort at health system change.
November 14, 2011 | Issue Brief
The final rule for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) received positive reactions, but what's next? These resources from RWJF and its grantees take a look at the final rule and consider where ACOs go from here.
June 1, 2011 | Journal Article
Today's strategy for improving the health care system, accountable care organizations (ACOs) shift economic responsibility from insurers to physicians. This review points out the clear distinction between ACOs and the managed care system of the 1990s.
April 1, 2011 | Issue Brief
Analyses explore implementation of the Medicare Shared Savings Program for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
March 16, 2010 | Issue Brief
A new brief from the George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services examines the debate around creating accountable care organizations (ACOs) to serve Medicare and Medicaid patients.
July 2, 2008 | Commentary
This paper explores the concept of accountable care systems (ACS), which may help improve the quality and care provided by physicians and hospitals in the United States. The authors offer several suggestions for implementing these organizational structures.
March 1, 2007 | Presentation Material
This paper calls for national organizations dedicated to performance measurement, best practices and provider incentives as a part of reform.
May 2, 2013 | Journal Article
Major benefits seen from this Medicaid expansion trial—improved health and well-being; reduced financial strain.