ACO roundup: Key news from June 29-July 5

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

• Executives say that the Supreme Court ruling on the federal health reform law will give accountable care efforts structure and increase momentum, Modern Healthcare reports. Industry leaders note that health organization proceeded with ACO contracts, even when the future of the law appeared uncertain (Evans, Modern Healthcare, 6/30 [subscription required]).


• A recent report from Leavitt Partners—a Salt Lake City-based consultancy—found that 221 ACOs were operating in 45 states as of May, up 35% from September 2011, when only 164 ACOs operated in 41 states. According to the report, physicians drove much of the model's growth; the number of ACOs affiliated with hospitals grew only 19% from September 2011 to May 2012 (Stagg Elliott, American Medical News, 7/2).


• American Medical News this week explored ACOs' potential to save struggling state Medicaid programs, highlighting Oregon health reforms that aim to reduce Medicaid spending through "coordinated care organizations" (Lubell, American Medical News, 7/2).

From the archives: Feds buy into Oregon health reform plan with $1.9B pledge



• A study recently published in Health Services Research found no link between patient satisfaction and a clinic's implementation of the patient-centered medical home model (O'Reilly, American Medical News, 7/2).