New Approaches In A New World, Starting With ACOs

By Debra Ness and William Kramer

If it’s time to discard the old ways of doing business, there’s no better place to start than with Accountable Care Organizations, or ACOs. At the very heart of the philosophy that underlies health reform, and with a history of support from both Republicans and Democrats, ACOs are a model of care that incentivizes medical groups and hospitals to reduce costs while providing high-quality care.

An ACO is a network of health providers – hospitals, primary care doctors, specialists, advanced practice nurses, physician’s assistants, home health care providers and others. Some are private; others are public. Under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, an ACO contracts to meet the health care needs of at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries for a minimum of three years. Read the full post...