Colorado Medicare patients cost between $5,000 and $10,000 per year to treat, and the bonuses could reach into the millions if quality and preventive care measures are reached. If ACOs meet the quality measures and save up to 2.7 percent in Medicare expenditures, the organizations can earn a little less than half of that back as a bonus, said PHP President Ken Nielsen in the report.
However, it’s anticipated that many physicians will use the increased payments to hire more staff members and allocate fewer appointments to focus on more individualized care for patients.
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