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A headline you’ve likely read in the last two months sounds something like this: “In its 10th performance year, the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved Medicare $1.8 billion after accounting for shared savings and losses.” It probably goes on to talk about physician-led accountable care organizations (ACOs) trumping non-physician-led ACOs, and low-revenue ACOs trumping high-revenue ACOs—trends shared almost annually when MSSP performance year results are published.
But what separates top performers from lower performers? Not every ACO participant achieved shared savings—in fact, 37% of ACO participants either made no savings or generated losses in the program. Among the 15 two-sided ACOs who owed CMS money, they owed between $545K to $28M.
So, what makes up a successful ACO? A successful MSSP ACO requires a nuanced understanding of its providers, market, and patients. Armed with intelligence, these ACOs can grow into new markets, increase their quality performance, and continue to transform their care model.