White House to Push ACOs, Other New Models

The Obama administration in 2014 will "double down" on delivery system reform efforts such as the further proliferation of accountable care organizations (ACOs), a White House health policy adviser said Monday.

"The system works so long as it's not just accessible but affordable," Jeanne Lambrew said at AcademyHealth's National Health Policy Conference here, referring to two of the outcomes policymakers hope will result from new models of care.

Lambrew spoke about the Obama administration's priorities in 2014 and mentioned the work involving the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Such reform efforts include ACOs, bundled payments, and patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs).

The Innovation Center, as it is often referred to, on Friday announced the organizationsselected to participate in its Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative, in which providers receive capitated payments for certain episodes of care. The center's Comprehensive Primary Care initiative, another Innovation Center project, is a PCMH model where providers receive bonus payments to better coordinate patient care.

Meanwhile, Medicare's work with ACOs is beyond the pilot stage and is being implemented full-scale.