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On February 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fact sheet about the 2026 Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) participation. As of January 2026, an estimated 14.3 million Medicare beneficiaries will receive care coordinated by ACOs, up from 13.7 million in 2025, marking a 4.4 percent increase, CMS reported. This includes patients whose healthcare providers participate in Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs, and entities involved in CMS Innovation Center accountable care models, as well as other CMS Innovation Center models focused on total cost of care, advanced primary care, and specialty care.
ACOs achieve savings because healthcare providers are held accountable for reducing costs and improving quality of care, delivering a win for both patients and the Medicare Trust Funds, CMS explained. “In Performance Year 2024, the most recently reconciled performance year, Shared Savings Program ACOs earned shared savings totaling $4.1 billion and saved Medicare $2.5 billion.”