This report from The Commonwealth Fund is based on interviews with clinical and administrative leaders from seven accountable care organizations (ACOs):
- Accountable Care Alliance, Omaha, NE
- Arizona Connected Care, Tucson, AZ
- Cheyenne ACO, Cheyenne, WY
- Mount Auburn Cambridge IPA Pioneer ACO, Cambridge, MA
- NewHealth Collaborative, Akron, OH
- North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Great Neck, NY
- University Hospitals ACO, Cleveland, OH
Despite gaps in readiness and infrastructure, most of these “early adopter” ACOs are moving ahead with risk-based contracts, under which the ACO shares in savings achieved; a few are beginning to accept “downside risk” as well. Recruiting physicians and changing health care delivery are critical to the success of ACOs, and represent the most difficult challenges. ACO leaders are relying on physicians to design clinical standards, quality measures, and financial incentives, while also promoting team-based care and offering care management and quality improvement tools to help providers identify and manage high-risk patients. The most advanced ACOs are seeing reductions or slower growth in health care costs and have anecdotal evidence of care improvements. Some of the ACOs studied have begun to, or are planning to, share savings with providers if quality benchmarks are met. The report was written by Health Management Associates.
Ignatius Bau 