Methodist ACO to Participate as Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organization
Voluntary New Care Coordination Program Created to Offer High Quality Services, Care to Beneficiaries through Partnership with Medicare
07/10/2012
Methodist Health System today announced it has been selected to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) Accountable Care Organization (ACO), a multifaceted new program sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Through the Shared Savings Program, Methodist Patient Centered ACO (MPCACO) will work with CMS to provide Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with high quality service and care, while reducing the growth in Medicare expenditures through enhanced care coordination.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that as of July 1, 89 new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) began serving 1.2 million people with Medicare in 40 States and Washington, D.C. ACOs are organizations formed by groups of doctors and other health care providers that have agreed to work together to coordinate care for people with Medicare.
These 89 new ACOs have entered into agreements with CMS, taking responsibility for the quality of care they provide to people with Medicare in return for the opportunity to share in savings realized through high-quality, well-coordinated care.
"Better coordinated care is good for patients and it saves money," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "We applaud every one of these doctors, hospitals, health centers and others for working together to ensure millions of people with Medicare get better, more patient-centered, coordinated care."
Participation in an ACO is purely voluntary for providers. The Shared Savings Program, and other initiatives related to Accountable Care Organizations, is made possible by the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Federal savings from this initiative could be up to $940 million over four years.
"This new group of ACOs adds to a solid foundation," said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. "The Medicare ACO program opened for business in January, and already, more than 2.4 million beneficiaries are receiving care from providers participating in these important initiatives."
The 89 ACOs announced today bring the total number of organizations participating in Medicare shared savings initiatives to 154, including the 32 ACOs participating in the testing of the Pioneer ACO Model by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) that were announced last December, and six Physician Group Practice Transition Demonstration organizations that started in January 2011. In all, as of July 1, more than 2.4 million beneficiaries are receiving care from providers participating in Medicare shared savings initiatives.
The selected ACOs operate in a wide range of areas of the country and almost half are physician-driven organizations serving fewer than 10,000 beneficiaries, demonstrating that smaller organizations are interested in operating as ACOs. Their models for coordinating care and improving quality vary in response to the needs of the beneficiaries in the areas they are serving.
To ensure that savings are achieved through improving care coordination and providing care that is appropriate, safe, and timely, an ACO must meet quality standards. For 2012, CMS has established 33 quality measures relating to care coordination and patient safety, appropriate use of preventive health services, improved care for at-risk populations, and patient and caregiver experience of care.
CMS also announced that beginning this year, new ACO applications would be accepted annually. The application period for organizations that wish to participate in the Shared Savings Program beginning in January 2013 is from Aug. 1 through Sept. 6, 2012. More information, including application requirements, is available at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/sharedsavingsprogram/Application.html
To learn more about the ACOs announced today, visit: http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/fact_sheets.asp
About Methodist Health System
Guided by the founding principles of life, learning, and compassion, Methodist Health System (Methodist) provides quality, integrated care to improve and save the lives of individuals and families throughout North Texas. Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Methodist Midlothian Health Center, and Methodist Family Health Centers are part of the nonprofit Methodist Health System, which is affiliated by covenant with the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. Additional information is available at www.methodisthealthsystem.org. To see why Methodist Health System is a brilliant choice for your career, join our talent community at Jobs.MethodistHealthSystem.org and connect with us through Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and our blog.
Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System or any of its affiliated hospitals.
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