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Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are increasing in popularity as healthcare organizations strive to improve care quality and operational efficiency. Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) shows that more Medicare patients than ever – nearly 13.4 million beneficiaries – are being cared for by ACOs this year. The largest ACOs serve Medicare recipient populations in the hundreds of thousands.
For ACOs and other risk-bearing providers, the emphasis on preventive care in Value-based Care (VBC) enables a healthier overall population. Preventive care is particularly impactful in the management of chronic conditions by helping to reduce claims for prolonged and expensive treatments. Chronic illnesses (including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity) together account for 90% of healthcare costs in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).