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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April 11, 2012 | Journal Article
A new initiative of the Affordable Care Act known as accountable care organizations, received final rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
November 21, 2011 | Journal Article
The revised Medicare Shared Savings Program makes concessions and compromises to encourage a fundamental effort at health system change.
October 9, 2012 | Issue Brief
Insurers and regulators worry that Accountable Care Organizations could reduce competition and drive up prices for Medicare patients.
May 2, 2013 | Journal Article
Major benefits seen from this Medicaid expansion trial—improved health and well-being; reduced financial strain.
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.