Controlling The Risk In The ACO Proposition

Compiled by Neil Versel, Contributing Writer

While the benefits of accountable care organizations (ACOs) look good on paper, many providers find the reimbursement risk too hard to handle. SCL Health System shares its strategies in this area.

Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law in 2010 and brought the term accountable care organization (ACO) into the lexicon, healthcare providers nationwide have finally gotten serious about improving the quality and efficiency of the care they deliver. Denver-based SCL Health System has been carrying risk-based contracts for far longer than that. In this Q&A, Debbie Welle-Powell, vice president for accountable health and payer strategies at SCL, discusses how the organization has been preparing for and adjusting to the era of value-based reimbursement.