Accountable Care Organizations
One of the new models of health care delivery being championed by the Health Reform Law is the “Accountable Care Organization” or “ACO.” Given this fact, it seems appropriate to take a closer look at ACOs and how they work.
Section 3022 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act “PPACA”) directs the Secretary of the Department of Health andHuman Services (the “Secretary”) to establish: “A shared savings program that promotes accountability for a patient population and coordinates items and services under Parts A and B and encourages investment in infrastructure and redesigned care processes for quality and efficient service delivery.” Pursuant to Section 3022, the Secretary is required to establish this new shared savings program (the “Program”) by no later than January 1, 2012. Read more ...
