Contact: Bill Riley | briley@www.medicaladvantage.com
Medicare accountable care organization initiatives to improve how the health system cares for patients
ANN ARBOR, Michigan, February 3, 2016 – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 121 new participants – representing 49 states and the District of Columbia – in an innovative initiative – Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) – designed to improve the care patients receive in the healthcare system and lowers costs.
Accountable Healthcare Alliance, PC was selected as one of nearly 150 renewing Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), providing Medicare beneficiaries with access to high-quality, coordinated care across the United States, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today. That brings the total to 434 Shared Savings Program ACOs serving over 7.7 million beneficiaries.
Doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers establish ACOs in order to work together to provide higher-quality coordinated care to their patients, while helping to slow healthcare cost growth. Accountable Healthcare Alliance, PC will be one of 434 ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Program as of January 1, 2016. Beneficiaries seeing healthcare providers in ACOs always have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the ACO. ACOs receive a portion of the Medicare savings generated from lowering the growth in healthcare costs as long as they also meet standards for high quality care.
“People across America are going to be better cared for when they go to their healthcare providers, because these hospitals and providers have made a commitment to innovation, a commitment to change how they do business and care for patients,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell said. “Medicare, and the healthcare system as a whole, is moving toward paying providers based on the quality, rather than just the quantity of care they give patients. The three new ACO initiatives that are being launched today mark an important step forward in this effort.”
Since ACOs first began participating in the program in early 2012, thousands of healthcare providers have signed on to participate in the program, working together to provide better care to Medicare’s seniors and people with disabilities. The new and renewing ACOs will bring approximately 15,000 additional physicians into the ACO program starting January 1, 2016.
ACOs are delivering better care, and they continue to show promising results on cost savings. In 2014, they had a combined total net program savings of $411 million for 333 Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) ACOs and 20 Pioneer ACOs. Based on 2014 quality and financial performance results for Shared Savings Program ACOs who started the program in 2012, 2013, and 2014, ACOs that reported in both 2013 and 2014 improved on 27 of the 33 quality measures, including patients’ ratings of clinicians’ communication, beneficiaries’ rating of their doctors, screening for tobacco use and cessation, screening for high blood pressure, and Electronic Health Record use. Shared Savings Program ACOs also outperformed group practices reporting quality on 18 out of 22 measures.
Ultimately, today’s announcement is about delivering better care, spending dollars more wisely, and having healthier people and communities. ACOs drive progress in the way care is provided by improving the coordination and integration of healthcare, and improving the health of patients with a priority placed on prevention and wellness. More information about the Shared Savings Program is available at www.cms.gov/sharedsavingsprogram.
For a list of the new and renewing ACOs announced today, visit the Shared Savings Program News and Updates webpage www.cms.gov/News-and-Updates.
About Medical Advantage
Medical Advantage simplifies the delivery of efficient, high-quality healthcare for medical practices, health centers, physician organizations, hospitals and health systems. Medical Advantage helps doctors navigate the shifting healthcare landscape by providing the resources needed to deliver better patient care in the new value-based healthcare economy. Medical Advantage has two decades of expertise managing physician organizations and ACOs. Its ACO clients have demonstrated success in improving quality measures and reducing costs of care in Medicare’s Shared Savings Plan. Medical Advantage manages the Consortium of Independent Physician Associations as well as Professional Medical Corporation. To learn more, visit www.medicaladvantage.com.
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