Over four years ago a group of far-sighted individuals launched the Toward Accountable Care Consortium and Initiative (TAC). The Consortium now includes over 40 health care association and organization members, who joined for the purpose of preparing the medical community for the transition to value. The Consortium was successful in securing two grants from The […]

Recently, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare formed accountable care partnerships with several major medical groups in the state. Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) are focused on enhancing care coordination between doctors and others involved in patient care; improving patient experience and health outcomes for everyone in the plan; and lowering overall costs for care. Last week, Aetna established […]

Back in 2009-2010, as the Affordable Care Act was being debated and then passed, Duke Health Systems decided they could not sit on the sidelines and watch as the whole landscape of health care was changing and new models of care were emerging. They needed to take part, but slowly and methodically, they decided, and […]

The US Department of Health and Human Services released an independent evaluation report showing an innovative payment model created as a pilot project by the Affordable Care Act generated substantial savings to Medicare in just two years. Additionally, the independent Office of the Actuary in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has certified […]

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Foundation seeks to identify rural providers interested in learning more about developing an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a new funding opportunity specifically for rural providers.  CMS wants to encourage providers to form Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs in […]

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center introduced the “Next Generation Accountable Care Organization” model of payment and care delivery on March 10, 2015. This initiative is for ACOs experienced in coordinating care for populations of patients and will allow these provider groups to assume higher levels of financial risk and reward […]

On Thursday, March 5, members of the NC ACO Collaborative packed the auditorium of the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Center for Leadership in Medicine in Raleigh for the first of its twice- yearly meeting. The gathering brings together ACOs, aspiring ACOs, ACO participants and other interested parties like the representatives from the State Health […]

In an announcement last week, the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell set the stage for more aggressive adoption of a Medicare reimbursement system centered on paying physicians based on the quality rather than the quantity of care they provide patients.The program she described will have measurable goals and a timeline. […]

Just before the new year dawned, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced 89 new Medicare Shared Savings Plan (MSSP) Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) bringing the nationwide total of MSSP ACOs to 405. Of the new ACOs announced, seven have service areas in North Carolina. 1)      Cape Fear Valley ACO 2)      Carolina Medical […]

Governor McCrory and Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos, MD, visited Wilmington Health last summer as part of their statewide tour of accountable care organizations (ACOs). The McCrory administration supports Medicaid reform that incorporates accountable or value-based care, and the visiting officials wanted to learn how this emerging model […]