On December 19, CMS announced the selection of 32 Pioneer ACO organizations, five of which are Boston-based: Beth Israel Deaconess, Mt. Auburn, Steward, Atrius, and Partners Healthcare.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
Innovation opportunities from health care reform
President Obama signs the Patient Protection &
Affordable Care Act, March 23, 2010.
(Pete Souza/Wikimedia Commons)
By Naomi Fried
Feds finalize rules for ACOs
After months of review, the federal government finalized the rules for accountable care organizations, set to begin formation in 2012.
The Accountable Care Organization initiative aims to shift the business of health care delivery from a fee-for-service model to one that pays hospitals and care providers based on quality of care, coordination of care and cost-effectiveness. It’s slated to kick off on a voluntary basis next year.
Medicare officials reviewed more than 1,300 comments on the preliminary rules released in spring, and announced their decisions yesterday.
Creeping closer to the $1K genome
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Ion Torrent Systems Inc. developed a gene sequencing method that may be able to reach the target $1,000 genome, according to a study published in the journal Nature.
The Guilford, Conn.-based company published results of their sequencing technology, which uses semiconductors rather than the more common (and more expensive) optical technology to develop a technique that may be low cost, portable and scalable.
What are ACOs and why should you care? | Interview with Jeffrey Cohen, founder of the Florida Healthcare Law Firm
Change You Can Count On: Insurers Buying Hospitals
It started with the Stark Law that physicians couldn’t buy hospitals to block self-referral, but we have no problem with insurers owning hospitals.
If state and federal regulators sign off on the plan, Highmark officials say the deal will allow them to move away from traditional fee models that reward providers for providing unnecessary procedures and services.
Medicare: Congressmen urge Donald Berwick to use caution with ACOs
Two congressmen are lobbying Medicare chief Donald Berwick to use caution when implementing accountable care organizations for fear that the new payment programs for doctors established by the healthcare reform act could lead to rationing of care and have a chilling effect on medical innovation.
Leave Medicare out of it, say Senate Dems
MASSDEVICE ON CALL —Senate Democrats have unleashed a strong message to Republicans who want to tie Medicare to negotiations on raising the debt ceiling: it’s not going to happen.
"Our message is simply: Take Medicare off the table. Let’s solve the default crisis. And let’s talk about fixing the system so that our middle class has a little bit better shape," Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said during a conference call with reporters.
The response comes on the heels of Republican promises to include Medicare in debates regarding raising the debt ceiling.
Proposed Medicare ACO rules create ‘significant barriers’ says Cleveland Clinic CEO
Proposed federal rules for accountable care organizations create significant barriers that would discourage hospitals from adopting the new model of care, according to Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove.
Cosgrove made the comments in an eight-page letter addressed to Donald Berwick, top administrator for the the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), though Cosgrove stressed that the Clinic supports the concept of accountable care organizations (ACOs).
Medical device industry: Medicare ACOs need independent oversight
The Accountable Care Organization mandate in the health care reform law needs some fine-tuning before it takes effect, according to industry lobby AdvaMed, and could use an independent oversight board to make sure the system doesn’t stint on care for Medicare patients.
The Accountable Care Organization initiative aims to shift the business of health care delivery from a fee-for-service model to one that pays hospitals and care providers based on quality of care, coordination of care and cost-effectiveness. It’s slated to kick off on a voluntary basis Jan. 1.