New data shows the majority of accountable care organizations that participate in the Next Generation ACO model achieved savings in 2019. The data, recently released by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, shows just two of the 37 ACOs failed to meet benchmarks and achieve savings in 2019. The Next Generation program actually involves…
With the public health emergency extended to April, providers get additional time to use waivers for telehealth and other flexibilities. Aside from these flexibilities, the public health emergency holds accountable care organizations harmless from financial losses for the months in which the PHE is in effect. For example, if the PHE is in effect for six months in 2021,…
After three years, Haven, the much-anticipated health venture from Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan, is shutting down. Little information came from the company itself on the decision to end the business, merely stating that its founding companies would collaborate further in the future. When it disbands at the end of February, its staff will be divvied…
Physician participation in accountable care organizations peaked in 2017. Using Medscape’s “Physician Compensation Report” from 2012-20, here is how many physicians participated in accountable care organizations. Note: Medscape surveyed 24,216 respondents in 2012, 21,878 respondents in 2013, 24,075 respondents in 2014, 19,657 respondents in 2015, 19,183 respondents in 2016, 19,270 respondents in 2017, 20,329 respondents in 2018, 19,328 respondents in 2019 and 17,461 respondents in 2020 to collect compensation data. …
Medical students and residents are increasingly learning about value-based care. But aspiring physicians don’t have enough opportunity to put that knowledge to work in a healthcare system that mostly relies on fee-for-service payments. That could hamstring the transition from volume- to value-based care in the long-term. “If value-based care is the correct way to deliver…
Value-based providers, like accountable care organizations (ACOs), may be at a disadvantage under new direct contracting options in Medicare that allow for a broad range of healthcare organizations to participate, according to the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS). In a letter to CMS Innovation Center Director Brad Smith, the industry group called for changes to both the…
If any sector of U.S. healthcare has been buffeted by winds of change and by ongoing developments in 2020, it’s been the accountable care organization (ACO) sector. Facing a combination of policy, payment, and operational challenges, ACO leaders have moved ahead with grit and determination to show the value of care that is accountable—it’s in…
The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) is calling for the Trump administration to put the brakes on a new payment model that ties savings to the health of an entire region. NAACOS wrote in a letter to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), which oversees payment models, that the new Geographic Direct Contracting model…
On December 3, 2020, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) officially announced the release of the Geographic Direct Contracting Model (Geo), a highly anticipated option introduced at the outset of the Direct Contracting program, but subject to additional requests for information. We share industry enthusiasm for the model and appreciate the detailed approach on…
Let’s take the conversation further. Whether you attended our previous webinar, ACOs of the Future: Team Based Care Reimagined, or not, please join us for an interactive round table discussion continuing from the topic. This round table is an opportunity for providers to ask our experts any questions you may have and to learn from…