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The Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) program is designed to provide value-based care access, including home-based care, to underserved communities. New research shows that in its inaugural year, the program fell short of its aims.
REACH beneficiaries have lower levels of social risk compared to the overall Medicare population, according to a study published in JAMA Health Forum, showing that the program failed to enroll organizations serving the vulnerable populations it was designed to help.
“The lack of broader participation from vulnerable populations could limit the potential impacts of other equity elements of the ACO REACH program in its overarching goal of reducing health inequities,” the study’s authors wrote. “Policy and programmatic modifications are imperative to address enrollment challenges and ensure that ACO REACH effectively serves those most in need.”