Medicare adds 121 ACOs

This week, Medicare officials announced the creation of 121 new accountable care organizations (ACO). Almost 8.9 million Medicare beneficiaries will now be getting their care through ACOs, an increase of about 1 million beneficiaries receiving care under this model. ACOs are hoped to improve patient care and lower costs by establishing a team of medical professionals that work with the patient through all cycles of his or her care. ACOs are incentivized to do so because their reimbursements can be tied to quality measures.

Source: Associated Press