Accountable Care Organizations:
CMS Outlines How Joining An ACO Will Benefit Practices, Beneficiaries
Published on Sat Apr 09, 2011
Under the "shared savings program," ACO participants will collect a portion of the amount CMS saves. You've probably heard about Medicare's proposed "shared savings program," which will utilize accountable care organizations (ACOs) to improve patient outcomes and cut costs. But what you haven't heard is how CMS intends to implement the ACO program. However, that changed this week, as CMS announced that it wrote a proposed rule for the program outlining what it will include. What are they? ACOs aim to use coordinated care between health care providers to put "the beneficiary and family at the center of care," said CMS's Terri Postma, MD, during an April 5 CMS call. ACOs include various healthcare professionals who work together, including physicians, hospitals, and other members of the patient's care team. This "case management" approach is intended to offer patient-centric care, resulting in better outcomes and lower costs. According to the proposed [...]
