The vision underlying the accountable care movement is worth “pursuing with bold steps,” according to a recent New England Journal of Medicine article, which suggests ways for CMS to improve ACO participation without sacrificing the model’s provisions.
ACOs need more than providers that already manage care efficiently — it needs providers that have room for improvement. To widen ACO participation, the article suggests CMS offer early-adopter financial incentives to offset start-up costs. These may include more generous shares of savings in the first years of the program or loans to finance the start-up costs.
It also suggests prospective beneficiary assignment so providers can outreach more effectively and better manage population health. Through prospective assignment, beneficiaries could also enroll in an ACO to share in the savings, such as through a lower Part B premium, according to the article.
These suggestions would provide the tools and flexibility provider groups need in order to participate in ACOs while preserving the two-sided risk model that “creates the kind of high-powered incentives” that are urgently needed, according to the article.
Read the New England Journal of Medicine article on ACOs.
Related Articles on ACOs:
Implementing ACOs One of Top Challenges for Medical Groups, Survey Finds
Family Physician Organizations Urge CMS to Revise Education Support in ACO Model
HHS Sec. Sebelius: CMS Reviewing ACO Comments
