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ACO roundup: Key news from Jan. 20-Jan. 26

Practice management companies expand to prepare for ACOs

Topics: Accountable Care, Market Trends, Strategy, ACO, Health Care Reform, Shared Savings Model, Medicare, Reimbursement, Finance

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January 26, 2012

The Daily Briefing editorial team rounds up the top accountable care stories of the week.

• Physician practice management companies are expanding into new areas of hospital-based health care to prepare for ACO participation. For example, Mednax—which has long focused on neonatology and anesthesia medical groups—purchased 10 practices and expanded into pediatric surgery last year (Stagg Elliott, American Medical News, 1/23).

• In a Wall Street Journal special health care discussion, former CMS Administrator Don Berwick explained why he thinks the ACO model will succeed where earlier managed care models failed. He debated the care model with Tom Scully, a former Federation of American Hospitals CEO who led CMS from 2001 to 2004, and Jeff Goldsmith, president of Health Futures Inc. (Daily Briefing, 1/24).

• The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation has pledged up to $750,000 for two research grants assessing medication-management services used by ACOs and patient-centered medical homes and their impact on patient health outcomes. Interested researchers must submit proposals by June 15 (Robeznieks, Modern Healthcare, 1/22 [subscription required]).

• New Jersey: Atlantic Health System on Monday announced that it has applied to become a CMS ACO, which would include 1,200 physicians across five counties. The organization would ally Atlantic Health's three hospitals with The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. If accepted, the ACO will launch on April 1 (Arney, New Jersey Business Journal, 1/23).

• In case you missed it: Jan. 20 was the last day to submit applications to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program for the April 1 start date. The next application period will run from March 1 to March 30 for the July 1 start date.
  

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