Accountable Care Organizations are set to get underway in early 2012. Many doctors and hospitals are already publicizing their plans to participate in an ACO. Now is the time to look into how ACOs will benefit the healthcare industry.
ACOs are an organization of doctors and hospitals that shares responsibility for working collaboratively providing healthcare to patients that works better and is more affordable than the current system. Conventionally, Medicare has paid healthcare providers based on the tests and services they provide a patient. This has, at times, led to unnecessary medical treatments and a more “doctor-centered” healthcare environment.
Accountable Care Organizations seek to improve upon that by offering incentives to healthcare providers when costs are kept at minimum, while still maintaining a high level of quality care. The focus turns to the patient and preventive healthcare and overall wellness. A standard of quality metrics will be put in place to help measure the success of ACOs. The metrics will likely be based on care coordination, safety, preventative health, and patient care experiences. The proposed rules also include strong protections to ensure patients do not have their care choices limited by an ACO.
There are those in the healthcare industry that are apprehensive about the new ACOs. The concern is that all the integration required to make ACOs work would limit the independent hospitals and providers who help keep insurance costs down by minimizing market share of larger groups. In the end, only time will tell how well the emerging concept of ACOs will improve healthcare.
How Would Accountable Care Organizations Improve Healthcare?
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