ACO From The Editor

  1. Obamacare Upheld: How The SCOTUS Decision Benefits Health IT 6/28/2012

    Whether or not you agree with the SCOTUS ruling, the fact that Obamacare has been upheld is a positive for health IT. Here’s why.

  2. Vanishing Practices & The Impact On Health IT 6/5/2012

    Several factors are creating a “perfect storm” for hospitals to acquire physicians practices, and this time, the trend doesn’t appear to be cyclical. What does this mean for health IT and the future of healthcare delivery in the United States?

  3. Obamacare On Trial: The Potential Repercussions For Health IT 4/4/2012

    Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as the healthcare reform law, or Obamacare) unconstitutional? Can the federal government require us to purchase a product (health insurance), or is this an infringement on our personal freedom? By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  4. The Care Continuum Wars 3/15/2012

    Lines are beginning to blur between health insurers and hospital systems, as both parties battle it out to control their own autonomous patient care networks. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  5. HIMSS12 & Stage 2 MU: A Match Made In Vegas 3/1/2012

    HIMSS12 proved to be the biggest HIMSS yet as more than 37,000 healthcare executives, IT professionals, and clinical leaders flocked to Las Vegas to attend valuable health IT educational sessions and evaluate the latest products and services from more than 1,100 vendors in the exhibit hall. By Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief, Health IT Outcomes

  6. The ACO 'Guinea Pigs' 1/12/2012

    On December 19, 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) selected 32 healthcare systems to take part in the new Medicare Pioneer accountable care organization (ACO) initiative. 80 systems actually submitted formal applications to take part of the program. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  7. Innovation Is Key In 2012 Health IT Planning 12/28/2011

    As we embark on a new year, healthcare providers will inevitably be bombarded with 2012 industry forecasts from a variety of analysts and media outlets. While 2011 was a busy year in terms of IT investment and implementation, there still is a huge amount of uncertainty that exists around how to best leverage IT in the healthcare arena.

  8. Gainsharing: An Alternative To ACOs? 12/2/2011
    Gainsharing — a pay-for-performance program in play at select hospitals throughout the U.S. — is creating an accountable care environment (and benefits) without adhering to the ACO (accountable care organization) final rule issued by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). By Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief, Health IT Outcomes
  9. If Not Obamacare, Then What? 11/18/2011

    As the title would indicate, I’m about to write another one of those politically charged opinion columns that always seem to get me in hot water with a large portion of our readership. The topic? Healthcare reform. By Ken Congdon, editor in chief, Health IT Outcomes

  10. MGMA Urges Practices To Take Charge 10/27/2011
    There is no doubt that these are turbulent times for the U.S. healthcare system, and many private practices aren’t coping well with the change. With the federal government driving EHR adoption, health information exchange, and accountable care, some medical practices feel acquisition by a hospital/health system or early retirement are their only options in this new era of healthcare.