A clear trend has emerged in the health care industry: Mergers and acquisitions of health care firms have slowed year over year. Though home-based care M&A showed “signs of life” in Q3 2024 in what has otherwise been a relatively quiet year thus far, transaction volume was still down last year, according to a report…
This article is the latest in the Health Affairs Forefront series, Accountable Care for Population Health, featuring analysis and discussion of how to understand, design, support, and measure patient-centered, cost-efficient care under the umbrella of accountable care. Additional articles will be published throughout 2025. Readers are encouraged to review the Call for Submissionsfor this series….
Healthcare organizations invest significant time, energy, and money into hiring physicians. But according to Douglas Farrago, MD, the author of ‘The Hospital Guide to Physician Retention,’ very few organizations invest adequate resources into keeping physicians. Farrago, a Family physician, became interested in the topic from his personal experience as an employed physician. “I wrote this book…
In October 2024, the Task Force turned 10 years old. In recognition of this anniversary, the Task Force released a two-part paper reflecting on the past 10 years of health care transformation and envisioning a path forward for the coming decade. The Task Force’s original vision and guiding principles remain sound today, providing a strong…
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are designed to streamline patient care while optimizing healthcare costs and improving outcomes. However, one key aspect that many ACOs grapple with is ensuring accurate and compliant coding and billing practices. Coding and billing compliance are essential in preventing costly errors, minimizing revenue leakage, and maintaining regulatory adherence, which is vital…
The US health care system generates as much as 9 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions linked to the sector have also risen by 6 percent from 2010 to 2018, exceeding one ton per capita, the highest among industrialized nations. Significantly, the US health sector accounts for 27 percent of the global health-sector climate footprint,…
The stakes are high in healthcare with rising demands for transparency and quality, challenging the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) model like never before. This environment is ripe with opportunities to deliver value-based care (VBC). For nearly two decades, healthcare systems have shifted from FFS to VBC, aiming to reduce costs while improving patient health. This transition…
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have made great strides in enhancing patient care and reducing costs, saving $3.1 billion in 2023. The recently released report based on ACO performance in 2023 (PY2023) provides valuable insights into where ACOs are excelling. On this episode Dan sits down with Sarah Kachur PharmD, MBA, BCACP, Executive Director of Strategy…
As health care organizations progress on their value-based care journeys, clinicians and other staff members are discovering just how uniquely difficult the transition can be. The main challenges they face include an increased administrative burden, data overload and resource-intensive processes for both risk adjustment and quality performance, all of which can take a serious toll…
The power of an accountable care organization (ACO) isn’t simply in the care provided or the savings realized — it’s also in stakeholders who recognize they’re part of a greater good. Michael Camacho, President of Accountable Care for Sound Physicians, was recently reminded of that by one of his board members who also happens to…