110 ACOs to know | 2017

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/110-acos-to-know-2017.html

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In its sixth edition, Becker’s Healthcare is pleased to highlight a variety of Medicare and commercial payer accountable care organizations led by hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other organizations.

Leavitt Partners, a Salt Lake City-based healthcare consulting firm, reports 934 active public and private ACOs in the United States during the first quarter of 2017 covering 2.2 million lives. Over the past year, 138 new ACOs began operation and 46 dropped their accountable care contracts, leading to an 11 percent growth year-over-year, according to Health Affairs.

Several ACOs represented on this list participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Tracks 1 and 2 have limited provider risk; participants can benefit from shared savings but aren’t at risk for loss. MSSP Track 3, added in 2016, creates shared savings opportunities with greater risk. Track 3 ACO providers can share up to 25 percent of savings, but are at risk for loss. The most recently reported data for MSSP ACOs is the 2015 performance year.

CMS launched the Next Generation ACO Model in 2016, requiring providers to shoulder greater financial risk with the potential of earning more shared savings. The Next Generation ACOs qualify as advanced alternative payment models under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act’s Quality Payment Program in the 2017 reporting year. There are currently 45 participants in the Next Generation ACO Model.

These governmental contracts are in addition to commercial ACO arrangements, which at 715 in number, represent the plurality of all contracts, according to Health Affairs. Commercial ACOs tend to cover more lives than their Medicare counterparts.

Becker’s included ACOs on this list based on several factors, such as cost performance, participation in CMS ACO models and participation in innovative commercial agreements. ACOs are presented in alphabetical order. ACOs with multiple contracts are listed by the health system or provider group name.

Fewer than one-third of ACOs qualify for Medicare bonuses

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cms-acos-generated-466m-savings-2015?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTXpNd1lqZGlNR0U1WkRJeCIsInQiOiJLOWhzWGhXZ2FrUHdBMEg5d1VNTnppNTR6TEh5XC9tQjI1bDgxcVlUUWNcL1wvSWt0SkRUck9vYm90K1VuSlZJUGFpQ3RubDhPdjFFTWZFUEF1S3RDTUlpZ0VQbmtJRmYyOVg5ZHk0T3RiUUZYRT0ifQ%3D%3D&mrkid=959610&utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

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Fewer than one-third of Accountable Care Organizations qualified for bonuses from Medicare in 2015.

And just 31 percent of ACOs generated savings of $466 million, according to a CMS announcement released Thursday.

CMS and Congress must “take swift and decisive action to solidify the foundation of the Medicare ACO program,” Clif Gaus, CEO of the National Association of ACOs, said in a response (.pdf) to the findings.

The savings were accumulated from 392 Medicare Shared Savings Program participants and 12 Pioneer ACO participants, according to CMS. Total savings grew 13 percent from 2014, when ACOs recognized $411 million in total savings.

The National Association of ACOS “was disappointed not to find stronger financial results that reflect the extensive financial and personal contributions invested by ACOs,” Clif Gaus told FierceHealthcare via email, adding, “the ACO program has strong, bipartisan support and is considered a model for the transition from fee-for-service to value-based payment.”

Are innovative payment models working?

AJMC: Are innovative payment models working?

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Slow Going on ACO Risk

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-317609/Slow-Going-on-ACO-Risk

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Even as participation in ACOs grows, providers are hesitant to advance to models with more risk. CMS has now extended the least risky ACO track for three more years.