“Reforms to the healthcare financial model tie compensation to care outcomes, and ACOs, built on the coordinated care model, align well with this new emphasis,” said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. “Parks Associates defines ACOs in the broadest sense to include Medicare ACOs, private-sector Patient-Centered Medical Home practices, and healthcare providers that accept a pay-for-performance arrangement with private and public payers.”

 

With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in full swing and a large number of formally uninsured patients already accessing primary care, healthcare providers are ramping up their efforts to seek methods of containing costs, squeezing out waste, and adopting new payment structures with the help of the nation’s largest payers and other leadership entities.  The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) recently announced the beginning of a new program certifying ACOs, while the PCMH designation is becoming increasingly popular with both providers and insurers.