Adirondacks ACO was selected as one
\nof 123 new accountable care organizations
\n(ACOs) in Medicare, providing approximately
\n1.5 million more Medicare beneficiaries with access to coordinated
\ncare across the U.S., Health and Human
\nServices (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
\nannounced recently.<\/p>\n
Adirondacks ACO is a seven\u2010county group
\ncomprised of an extensive network of providers
\nto manage health care for Medicare
\nbeneficiaries. It includes more than 500
\nprimary care providers in Clinton, Essex,
\nFranklin, Hamilton, Warren, Washington
\nand northern Saratoga counties in New
\nYork, as well Grand Isle and Chittenden
\nin Vermont.<\/p>\n
Doctors, hospitals and health care
\nproviders establish ACOs in order to
\nwork together to provide higher\u2010quality
\ncoordinated care to their patients, while
\nhelping to slow health care cost growth,
\nsaid Sebelius. <\/p>\n
After passage of the Affordable Care Act, more than 360 (ACOs) were established, serving over 5.3 million Americans with Medicare. Beneficiaries seeing health care providers in ACOs always have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the ACO. ACOs share with Medicare any savings generated from lowering the growth in health care costs when they meet standards for high quality care.<\/p>\n
“Accountable care organizations are delivering higher\u2010quality care to Medicare beneficiaries and are using Medicare dollars more efficiently,” Sebelius said. “This is a great example of the Affordable Care Act rewarding hospitals and doctors that work together to help our beneficiaries get the best possible care.”<\/p>\n
An evolution of the Adirondack Region Medical Home Pilot, which focuses on preventive care and enhanced management of chronic conditions, the Adirondacks ACO is focused on improving community health by delivering higher quality through greater coordination of care for our patients.<\/p>\n
Participating primary care providers are from Fletcher Allen Partners (CVPH Medical Center, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, Fletcher Allen Medical Group), Adirondack Health\/AMC, Alice Hyde Medical Center, Glens Falls Hospital, Irongate Family Practice, Hudson Headwaters Health Network and independent community primary care practices.<\/p>\n
Stephens Mundy, president and CEO of CVPH Medical Center and chairman of the Adirondacks ACO said, his group is “a strong collaborative community organization of health care providers focused on improving health and quality through greater coordination of care for Medicare beneficiaries. I’m confident that the efforts of this extensive provider network will shape the future of both high quality health care delivery and payment reform in our communities.”<\/p>\n
According to Mundy, ACOs must meet quality standards to ensure that savings are achieved through improving care coordination and providing care that is appropriate, safe, and timely. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates ACO quality performance using 33 quality measures on patient and caregiver experience of care, care coordination and patient safety, appropriate use of preventive health services, and improved care for at\u2010risk populations.<\/p>\n
The next application period for organizations interested in participating in the Shared Savings Program beginning January 2015 will be in summer 2014.<\/p>\n
More information about the Shared Savings Program is available at www.cms.gov\/Medicare\/Medicare\u2010Fee\u2010for\u2010Service\u2010Payment\/sharedsavingsprogram\/index.html?redirect=\/sharedsavingsprogram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Adirondacks ACO was selected as one of 123 new accountable care organizations (ACOs) in Medicare, providing approximately 1.5 million more Medicare beneficiaries with access to coordinated care across the U.S., Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[82,102],"class_list":["post-28594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insurance-medical-services","tag-healthcare","tag-ny-state"],"yoast_head":"\r\n