The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) continues to save Medicare money while supporting high-quality care. The Shared Savings Program yielded more than $2.1 billion in net savings in 2023 — the largest savings in the Shared Savings Program’s history. In addition, Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are providing higher-quality care and supporting policies CMS has adopted to enhance primary care, expand access to accountable care to underserved communities, and prioritize quality care for common chronic conditions.
In 2023, ACOs in the Shared Savings Program earned shared savings payments (also known as performance payments) totaling $3.1 billion, the highest since the program’s inception more than 10 years ago. In addition, ACOs scored better on many quality measures than other types of physician groups and continued to demonstrate quality improvement. ACOs led by primary care clinicians had significantly higher net per capita savings than ACOs with a smaller proportion of primary care clinicians. These results continue to underscore how important primary care is to the success of the Shared Savings Program.
“Accountable Care Organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program continue to deliver high-quality health care for people with Medicare and meaningful savings for the Medicare program,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “CMS continues to improve the Medicare Shared Savings Program for the future so that providers in Accountable Care Organizations are able to deliver coordinated, high-quality, affordable, equitable, person-centered care to people with Medicare.”