In late October, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care, the largest health system in the state, and its affiliated Medicare accountable care organization (ACO), Advocate Physician Partners Accountable Care, Inc., realized $60.6 million worth of cost savings in 2016. Ranking second in savings of 432…
Massachusetts has launched a new accountable care certification program designed to implement statewide, all-payer standards as part of care delivery. The program, the first of its kind in the country, is already off to a strong start, according to the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC), which announced it has certified 17 organizations, including hospitals, health systems and physician groups….
Transforming a $3.2+ trillion dollar economy where approximately 1 in 5 dollars of GDP finds its way into the healthcare financing and delivery ecosystem is no small challenge. Decades of variably branded health policy initiatives from HMOs and PPOs to their arguably derivative reincarnated ‘brethren’ ACOs all presented with the promise of taming what remains…
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are provider-based networks which utilize data analytics and population health management strategies to increase efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. Originally established in 2012 as a Medicare payment model, the ACO is now also seen in private payer settings across the healthcare continuum. Full Article