Accountable Care Organization, Healthcare Big Data, Healthcare Portal, and ACO Implementation Resources
FEATURED ARTICLES: ACO
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![Insurance Abandons Unprofitable ACOs]( "Insurance Provider Abandons Unprofitable ACOs")
Insurance Provider Abandons Unprofitable ACOsFuture of Medicare’s ACO programs questioned in light of insurance actions. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
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Providing ACO Clarity10/14/2011
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have been lauded as having the power to save our healthcare system from almost certain economic doom. This healthcare delivery and payment model makes an entire network of doctors, hospitals, and ancillary providers jointly responsible for the ongoing care of patients.
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Insurers Propose New Open Catastrophic Plans6/16/2014
A proposed AHIP plan would enhance affordability and accessibility of healthcare. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
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ACO Created To Manage Healthcare Costs8/29/2014
New Illinois ACO aims to realign focus to value of service with emphasis on improving health outcomes. By Wendy Grafius, contributing writer
- CHIME: CIOs Grapple With Volatility, Uncertainty, Leadership Challenges
- Health Care System Experiences Encouraging ACO Results
- EHNAC Releases ACO Accreditation Draft Criteria For Public Comments
- Obamacare On Trial: The Potential Repercussions For Health IT
- Telehealth's Untapped Potential
- 60% Of Doctors Won't Join ACOs
CASE STUDIES & WHITE PAPERS
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White Paper: Transforming IT For Accountable Healthcare5/5/2011This February 2011 white paper looks at the impact of ARRA and PPACA on provider organizations and the role IT can play in preparing healthcare providers for future success in the evolving landscape. An IDC Health Insights White Paper sponsored by HP
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IT Infrastructure: A Foundation For Accountable Care Organizations8/11/2011The advent of healthcare reform will require a health information technology infrastructure that integrates all the “moving parts” of an ACO, including hospitals, physicians, labs, outpatient centers, claims and analytics.
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Achieving Success With The 5010 / ICD-10 Change-Over2/8/2012SuccessEHS is a nationally acclaimed vendor providing Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management solutions with Integrated Medical Billing Services.
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
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![Ken Congdon, Editor In Chief of Health IT Outcomes]( "Is Technology To Blame For Physician Burnout?")
Is Technology To Blame For Physician Burnout?According to a recent Medscape survey, 46% of physicians say they are burned out. How much is the drive towards health IT adoption contributing to this epidemic?
ABOUT ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS (ACO)
An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) utilizes a payment and care delivery system that bases payments to providers on quality metrics and seeks to reduce the total cost of care for a certain population of patients. ACOs use a range of payment models and consist of groups of coordinated healthcare providers that provide care to groups of patients. ACOs are accountable to a third-party payer and the group of patients for the appropriateness, quality, and efficiency of the health services they provide.
In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) set forth initial guidelines for ACOs to be created under the Medicare Shared Savings Program. These guidelines contained all necessary steps required for a physician, health care provider, or hospital to voluntarily participate in ACOs.
The quality measures used to evaluate an ACO's performance as defined by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fall into five domains. These domains are patient/caregiver experience, care coordination, patient safety, preventative health, and at-risk population/frail elderly health.
The three stakeholders in an ACO are the providers, payers, and patients. Providers are a network of hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. The primary payer is the federal government, Medicare, but also includes other payers such as private insurances or employee-purchased insurance. The patient population of an ACO will primarily consist of Medicare beneficiaries, but in larger ACOs can also include those who are homeless and uninsured.
FEATURED NEWS
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Population Health Cuts Anthem ACO Costs By Nearly $8 Million6/30/2015
Anthem’s program provides doctors with additional payments if they lower the cost of patients’ care. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
ACO NEWS ARTICLES
- WEDI Releases Guide On HIPAA Transactions Requiring ICD-10 Codes
- Automated Quality Reporting Through EHRs Can Result In Significant Efficiencies And Care Improvements
- CMS Releases Updated Data On EHR Adoption
- West Florida ACO Chooses Sandlot Solutions As Partner In Patient Health Information Management
- Importance Of Evidence-Based Medicine Presented In New Issue Brief Available From Elsevier