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Lin MY, Hanchate AD, Frakt AB, Burgess JF, Carey K. Association between physician-hospital integration and inpatient care delivery in accountable care organizations: An instrumental variable analysis. Health Serv Res 2024. [PMID: 38654539 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between physician-hospital integration within accountable care organizations (ACOs) and inpatient care utilization and expenditure. DATA SOURCES The primary data were Massachusetts All-Payer Claims Database (2009-2013). STUDY SETTING Fifteen provider organizations that entered a commercial ACO contract with a major private payer in Massachusetts between 2009 and 2013. STUDY DESIGN Using an instrumental variable approach, the study compared inpatient care delivery between patients of ACOs demonstrating high versus low integration. We measured physician-hospital integration within ACOs by the proportion of primary care physicians in an ACO who billed for outpatient services with a place-of-service code indicating employment or practice ownership by a hospital. The study sample comprised non-elderly adults who had continuous insurance coverage and were attributed to one of the 15 ACOs. Outcomes of interest included total medical expenditure during an episode of inpatient care, length of stay (LOS) of the index hospitalization, and 30-day readmission. An inpatient episode was defined as 30, 45, and 60 days from the admission date. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Not applicable. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The study examined 33,535 admissions from patients served by the 15 ACOs. Average medical expenditure within 30 days of admission was $24,601, within 45 days was $26,447, and within 60 days was $28,043. Average LOS was 3.5 days, and 5.4% of patients were readmitted within 30 days. Physician-hospital integration was associated with a 10.6% reduction in 30-day expenditure (95% CI, -15.1% to -5.9%). Corresponding estimates for 45 and 60 days were - 9.7% (95%CI, -14.2% to -4.9%) and - 9.6% (95%CI, -14.3% to -4.7%). Integration was associated with a 15.7% decrease in LOS (95%CI, -22.6% to -8.2%) but unrelated to 30-day readmission rate. CONCLUSIONS Our instrumental variable analysis shows physician-hospital integration with ACOs was associated with reduced inpatient spending and LOS, with no evidence of elevated readmission rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Yun Lin
- Medical Center Boulevard, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amresh D Hanchate
- Medical Center Boulevard, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Austin B Frakt
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Kathleen Carey
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Leao DLL, Pavlova M, Groot WNJ. How to facilitate the introduction of value-based payment models? Int J Health Plann Manage 2024; 39:583-592. [PMID: 38123527 DOI: 10.1002/hpm.3746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Value-based payment (VBP) models are designed and implemented to improve outcomes at the same or lower costs. Their adoption requires significant changes in the way healthcare organisations and insurance companies operate. Usually, before VBP models are widely implemented, pilot projects are conducted. Payers need to have a comprehensive set of requirements to enter into agreements with healthcare organisations on these pilots. In this short communication, we outline key elements reported in the literature, inside and outside healthcare organisations, as well as within the contract, that need to be considered in a pilot VBP model. Discussions regarding the introduction of VBP models may be strongly affected by external contextual factors, including regulations, which are outside the control of healthcare organisations. It requires collaboration between organisations, including primary care organisations and hospitals, while within organisations, it frequently requires creating multidisciplinary teams. The focus is on ensuring transparency, collaboration, and shared decision-making, realised by standardising communication processes and regular meetings. Additionally, effective leadership is needed, in which leaders set goals and priorities, as well as manage change. In the contractual agreements between payers and healthcare organisations, outcome measures need to be adequately defined and measured, including individual patient outcomes and composite scores, as well as absolute and relative performance measures. These measures should be tested periodically and catered to the organisations adopting the model. Also, incentives should have adequate size and frequency and be intrinsic and extrinsic. The consideration of these sets of key elements by the payers is essential when implementing VBP model pilot projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo L L Leao
- Department of Health Services Research, CAHPRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Milena Pavlova
- Department of Health Services Research, CAHPRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Wim N J Groot
- Department of Health Services Research, CAHPRI, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Dyer Z, Alcusky M, Himmelstein J, Ash A, Kerrissey M. Practice Site Heterogeneity within and between Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:266. [PMID: 38275548 PMCID: PMC10815263 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12020266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The existing literature has considered accountable care organizations (ACOs) as whole entities, neglecting potentially important variations in the characteristics and experiences of the individual practice sites that comprise them. In this observational cross-sectional study, our aim is to characterize the experience, capacity, and process heterogeneity at the practice site level within and between Medicaid ACOs, drawing on the Massachusetts Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (MassHealth), which launched an ACO reform effort in 2018. We used a 2019 survey of a representative sample of administrators from practice sites participating in Medicaid ACOs in Massachusetts (n = 225). We quantified the clustering of responses by practice site within all 17 Medicaid ACOs in Massachusetts for measures of process change, previous experience with alternative payment models, and changes in the practices' ability to deliver high-quality care. Using multilevel logistic models, we calculated median odds ratios (MORs) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) to quantify the variation within and between ACOs for each measure. We found greater heterogeneity within the ACOs than between them for all measures, regardless of practice site and ACO characteristics (all ICCs ≤ 0.26). Our research indicates diverse experience with, and capacity for, implementing ACO initiatives across practice sites in Medicaid ACOs. Future research and program design should account for characteristics of practice sites within ACOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Dyer
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Matthew Alcusky
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Jay Himmelstein
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Arlene Ash
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Michaela Kerrissey
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Bour SS, Raaijmakers LHA, Bischoff EWMA, Goossens LMA, Rutten-van Mölken MPMH. How Can a Bundled Payment Model Incentivize the Transition from Single-Disease Management to Person-Centred and Integrated Care for Chronic Diseases in the Netherlands? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3857. [PMID: 36900870 PMCID: PMC10001506 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
To stimulate the integration of chronic care across disciplines, the Netherlands has implemented single-disease management programmes (SDMPs) in primary care since 2010; for example, for COPD, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular diseases. These disease-specific chronic care programmes are funded by bundled payments. For chronically ill patients with multimorbidity or with problems in other domains of health, this approach was shown to be less fit for purpose. As a result, we are currently witnessing several initiatives to broaden the scope of these programmes, aiming to provide truly person-centred integrated care (PC-IC). This raises the question if it is possible to design a payment model that would support this transition. We present an alternative payment model that combines a person-centred bundled payment with a shared savings model and pay-for-performance elements. Based on theoretical reasoning and results of previous evaluation studies, we expect the proposed payment model to stimulate integration of person-centred care between primary healthcare providers, secondary healthcare providers, and the social care domain. We also expect it to incentivise cost-conscious provider-behaviour, while safeguarding the quality of care, provided that adequate risk-mitigating actions, such as case-mix adjustment and cost-capping, are taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterre S. Bour
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lena H. A. Raaijmakers
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik W. M. A. Bischoff
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lucas M. A. Goossens
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Choice Modelling Centre, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maureen P. M. H. Rutten-van Mölken
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Erasmus Choice Modelling Centre, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Spivack SB, Murray GF, Lewis VA. A Decade of ACOs in Medicare: Have They Delivered on Their Promise? JOURNAL OF HEALTH POLITICS, POLICY AND LAW 2023; 48:63-92. [PMID: 36112955 DOI: 10.1215/03616878-10171090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) were envisioned as a way to address both health care cost growth and uneven quality in US health care. They emerged in the early 2000s, with the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishing a Medicare ACO program. In the decade since their launch, ACOs have grown into one of Medicare's flagship payment reform programs, with millions of beneficiaries receiving care from hundreds of ACOs. While great expectations surrounded ACOs' introduction into Medicare, their impacts to date have been modest. ACOs have achieved some savings and improvements in measured quality, but disagreement persists over the meaning of those results: Do ACOs represent important, incremental steps forward on the path toward a more efficient, high-quality health care system? Or do their modest achievements signal a failure of large-scale progress despite the substantial investments of resources? ACOs have proven to be politically resilient, largely sidestepping the controversies and partisan polarization that have led to the demise of other ACA provisions. But the same features that have enabled ACOs to evade backlash have constrained their impacts and effectiveness. After a decade, ACOs' long-term influence on Medicare and the US health care system remains uncertain.
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Wilk AS, Drewry KM, Zhang R, Pastan SO, Thorsness R, Trivedi AN, Patzer RE. Treatment Patterns and Characteristics of Dialysis Facilities Randomly Assigned to the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Model. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e2225516. [PMID: 35930284 PMCID: PMC9356315 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.25516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE In 2021, Medicare launched the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) model, which randomly assigned approximately 30% of dialysis facilities to new financial incentives to increase use of transplantation and home dialysis; these financial bonuses and penalties are calculated by comparing living-donor transplantation, transplant wait-listing, and home dialysis use in ETC-assigned facilities vs benchmarks from non-ETC-assigned (ie, control) facilities. Because model participation is randomly assigned, evaluators may attribute any downstream differences in outcomes to facility performance rather than any imbalance in baseline characteristics. OBJECTIVE To identify preintervention imbalances in dialysis facility characteristics that should be recognized in any ETC model evaluations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study compared ETC-assigned and control dialysis facility characteristics in the United States from 2017 to 2018. A total of 6062 facilities were included. Data were analyzed from February 2021 to May 2022. EXPOSURES Assignment to the ETC model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Dialysis facilities' preintervention transplantations and home dialysis use, facility characteristics (notably, profit and chain status), patient demographic characteristics, and community socioeconomic characteristics. RESULTS Among 316 927 patients, with 6 178 855 attributed patient-months, the mean (SD) age in January 2017 was 59 (11) years, and 132 462 (42%) were female. Patients in ETC-assigned facilities had 9% (0.2 [95% CI, 0.1-0.2] percentage points) lower prevalence of living donor transplantation, 12% (3.2 [95% CI, 3.0-3.3] percentage points) lower prevalence of transplantation wait-listing, and 4% (0.4 [95% CI, 0.3-0.4] percentage points) lower prevalence of peritoneal dialysis use compared with control facilities. ETC-assigned facilities were 14% (5.1 [95% CI, 0.9-9.4] percentage points) more likely than control facilities to be owned by the second largest dialysis organization. Relative to control facilities, ETC-assigned facilities also treated 34% (6.6 [95% CI, 6.5-6.7] percentage point) fewer patients with Hispanic ethnicity and were located in communities with median household incomes that were 4% ($2500; 95% CI, $500-$4500) lower on average. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, dialysis facilities in ETC-assigned regions had lower preintervention prevalence of transplantation wait-listing, living donor transplantation, and peritoneal dialysis use, relative to control facilities. ETC-assigned and control facilities also differed with respect to other facility, patient, and community characteristics. Evaluators should account for these preintervention imbalances to minimize bias in their inferences about the model's association with postintervention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S. Wilk
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kelsey M. Drewry
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Rebecca Zhang
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stephen O. Pastan
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory Transplant Center, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Rebecca Thorsness
- Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Amal N. Trivedi
- Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Rachel E. Patzer
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
- Emory Transplant Center, Atlanta, Georgia
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Simon B, Amelung VE. [10 Years Accountable Care Organizations in the USA: Impulses for Health Care Reform in Germany?]. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2022; 84:e12-e24. [PMID: 35114697 DOI: 10.1055/a-1718-3332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
GOAL OF THE STUDY An intent of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acts (ACA), also know as Obama Care, was to slow the expenditure growth in the public Medicare-System by shifting the accountability for health care outcomes and costs to the provider. For this purpose, provider were allowed to form networks, which would then take accountability for a defined population - Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Ten years after the introduction of ACOs, this paper looks at the impact of ACOs both on quality of care and costs of care to assess if ACOs can be a model of care delivery for Germany. METHODS In a mixed-method approach, a rapid review was conducted in Health System Evidence and PubMed. This was supported with further papers identified using the snowballing-technique. After screening the abstracts, we included articles containing information on cost- and/or quality impact of US-Medicare-ACOs. The findings of the rapid review were challenged with 16 ACO-experts and stakeholder in the USA. RESULTS In total, we included 60 publications which incorporated 6 reports that were either conducted directly by governmental institutions or ordered by them, along with 3 previous reviews. Among these, 31 contained information on costs of care, 18 contained information on quality of care and 11 had information on both aspects. The publications show that ACOs reduced costs of of care. Cost reductions were achieved compared to historic costs, to populations not cared for in ACOs, and counterfactuals. Quality of care stayed the same or improved. CONCLUSION ACOs contributed to slowing the cost growth in US Medicare without compromising quality of care. Thus, a transferal of this model of care to Germany should be considered. However, various policies have led to ACOs failing to unleash their full potential. Against this background, and against the background of stark differences between US Medicare and the German health care system, a critical reflection of the necessary policies underlying ACOs-like structures in Germany, needs to be undertaken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Simon
- Harkness Fellowship, Commonwealth Fund, New York, United States.,Chief Officer Integrated and Digital Care, Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Volker Eric Amelung
- Institut für Epidemiologie, Sozialmedizin und Gesundheitssystemforschung, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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Drewry KM, Trivedi AN, Wilk AS. Organizational Characteristics Associated with High Performance in Medicare's Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care Initiative. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 16:1522-1530. [PMID: 34620648 PMCID: PMC8499003 DOI: 10.2215/cjn.04020321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Medicare plans to extend financial structures tested through the Comprehensive End-Stage Renal Disease Care (CEC) Initiative-an alternative payment model for maintenance dialysis providers-to promote high-value care for beneficiaries with kidney failure. The End-Stage Renal Disease Seamless Care Organizations (ESCOs) that formed under the CEC Initiative varied greatly in their ability to generate cost savings and improve patient health outcomes. This study examined whether organizational or community characteristics were associated with ESCOs' performance. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS We used a retrospective pooled cross-sectional analysis of all 37 ESCOs participating in the CEC Initiative during 2015-2018 (n=87 ESCO-years). Key exposures included ESCO characteristics: number of dialysis facilities, number and types of physicians, and years of CEC Initiative experience. Outcomes of interest included were above versus below median gross financial savings (2.4%) and standardized mortality ratio (0.93). We analyzed unadjusted differences between high- and low-performing ESCOs and then used multivariable logistic regression to construct average marginal effect estimates for parameters of interest. RESULTS Above-median gross savings were obtained by 23 (52%) ESCOs with no program experience, 14 (32%) organizations with 1 year of experience, and seven (16%) organizations with 2 years of experience. The adjusted likelihoods of achieving above-median gross savings were 23 (95% confidence interval, 8 to 37) and 48 (95% confidence interval, 24 to 68) percentage points higher for ESCOs with 1 or 2 years of program experience, respectively (versus none). The adjusted likelihood of achieving above-median gross savings was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, -3 to -1) percentage points lower with each additional affiliated dialysis facility. Adjusted mortality rates were lower for ESCOs located in areas with higher socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS Smaller ESCOs, organizations with more experience in the CEC Initiative, and those located in more affluent areas performed better under the CEC Initiative.
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MESH Headings
- Accountable Care Organizations/economics
- Accountable Care Organizations/organization & administration
- Cost Savings
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/economics
- Delivery of Health Care, Integrated/organization & administration
- Health Care Costs
- Humans
- Kidney Failure, Chronic/diagnosis
- Kidney Failure, Chronic/economics
- Kidney Failure, Chronic/mortality
- Kidney Failure, Chronic/therapy
- Medicare/economics
- Medicare/organization & administration
- Neighborhood Characteristics
- Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/economics
- Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care/organization & administration
- Quality Assurance, Health Care/organization & administration
- Quality Indicators, Health Care/organization & administration
- Renal Dialysis/adverse effects
- Renal Dialysis/economics
- Renal Dialysis/mortality
- Retrospective Studies
- Social Class
- Time Factors
- Treatment Outcome
- United States
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M. Drewry
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Amal N. Trivedi
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Department of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Adam S. Wilk
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
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Abstract
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Accountable care organizations (ACOs) need confidence in their return on investment to implement changes in care delivery that prioritize seriously ill and high-cost Medicare beneficiaries. The objective of this study was to characterize spending on seriously ill beneficiaries in ACOs with Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contracts and the association of spending with ACO shared savings. The population included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries identified with serious illness (N = 2,109,573) using the Medicare Master Beneficiary Summary File for 100% of ACO-attributed beneficiaries linked to MSSP beneficiary files (2014-2016). Lower spending for seriously ill Medicare beneficiaries and risk-bearing contracts in ACOs were associated with achieving ACO shared savings in the MSSP. For most ACOs, the seriously ill contribute approximately half of the spending and constitute 8%-13% of the attributed population. Patient and geographic (county) factors explained $2,329 of the observed difference in per beneficiary per year spending on seriously ill beneficiaries between high- and low-spending ACOs. The remaining $12,536 may indicate variation as a result of potentially modifiable factors. Consequently, if 10% of attributed beneficiaries were seriously ill, an ACO that moved from the worst to the best quartile of per capita serious illness spending could realize a reduction of $1,200 per beneficiary per year for the ACO population overall. Though the prevalence and case mix of seriously ill populations vary across ACOs, this association suggests that care provided for seriously ill patients is an important consideration for ACOs to achieve MSSP shared savings.
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Goff SL, Gurewich D, Alcusky M, Kachoria AG, Nicholson J, Himmelstein J. Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of Value-Based Care Models in New Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations in Massachusetts: A Study Protocol. Front Public Health 2021; 9:645665. [PMID: 33889558 PMCID: PMC8055830 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.645665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Massachusetts established 17 new Medicaid accountable care organizations (ACOs) and 24 affiliated Community Partners (CPs) in 2018 as part of a large-scale healthcare reform effort to improve care value. The new ACOs will receive $1.8 billion dollars in state and federal funding over 5 years through the Delivery System Reform Incentive Program (DSRIP). The multi-faceted study described in this protocol aims to address gaps in knowledge about Medicaid ACOs' impact on healthcare value by identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainment of the DSRIP-funded programs. Methods and analysis: The study's four components are: (1) Document Review to characterize the ACOs and CPs; (2) Semi-structured Key Informant Interviews (KII) with ACO and CP leadership, state-level Medicaid administrators, and patients; (3) Site visits with selected ACOs and CPs; and (4) Surveys of ACO clinical teams and CP staff. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research's (CFIR) serves as the study's conceptual framework; its versatile menu of constructs, arranged across five domains (Intervention Characteristics, Inner Setting, Outer Setting, Characteristics of Individuals, and Processes) guides identification of barriers and facilitators across multiple organizational contexts. For example, KII interview guides focus on understanding how Inner and Outer Setting factors may impact implementation. Document Review analysis includes extraction and synthesis of ACO-specific DSRIP-funded programs (i.e., Intervention Characteristics); KIIs and site visit data will be qualitatively analyzed using thematic analytic techniques; surveys will be analyzed using descriptive statistics (e.g., counts, frequencies, means, and standard deviations). Discussion: Understanding barriers and facilitators to implementing and sustaining Medicaid ACOs with varied organizational structures will provide critical context for understanding the overall impact of the Medicaid ACO experiment in Massachusetts. It will also provide important insights for other states considering the ACO model for their Medicaid programs. Ethics and dissemination: IRB determinations were that the overall study did not constitute human subjects research and that each phase of primary data collection should be submitted for IRB review and approval. Study results will be disseminated through traditional channels such as peer reviewed journals, through publicly available reports on the mass.gov website; and directly to key stakeholders in ACO and CP leadership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Goff
- Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Deborah Gurewich
- Center for Healthcare Organizations and Implementation Research, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Matthew Alcusky
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Aparna G Kachoria
- Commonwealth Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, United States
| | - Joanne Nicholson
- Heller School for Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States
| | - Jay Himmelstein
- Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.,Commonwealth Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, United States
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AlRuthia Y, Abdulaziz Bin Aydan N, Sulaiman Alorf N, Asiri Y. How can Saudi Arabia reform its public hospital payment models? A narrative review. Saudi Pharm J 2020; 28:1520-1525. [PMID: 33041625 PMCID: PMC7537664 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cost of Saudi healthcare continues to rise at an alarming rate, putting the sustainability of the public healthcare system into question. Data have shown that hospital and healthcare providers' services represent the bulk of this rising cost, which makes the calls to reform the Saudi healthcare system more focused on payment models than at any time before. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to review various identified payment models that can be used to contain costs and improve the quality of the care provided. METHOD A literature review of articles addressing the issues of cost containment and improving the quality of healthcare by reforming the current Saudi healthcare payment policy were identified through the Ovid®, Medline, and Google® Scholar search engines. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Many research articles and literature reviews have identified and discussed different models of healthcare payments. Some articles have focused on one payment model, while others have discussed different payment models that have been identified. There is an urgent need to reform the current system of healthcare payments to improve the quality of healthcare and maintain funding for universal healthcare coverage in the future. Future healthcare payment reforms should consider restructuring the current healthcare system, which is largely fragmented by providing incentives to different governmental healthcare sectors, in order to transform it into a more organized and coordinated system. Thus far, there is not a single payment model that can, by itself, reduce healthcare costs and improve healthcare quality. Future healthcare reforms should use a mixture of different payment models to pay hospitals and physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazed AlRuthia
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Pharmacoeconomics Research Unit, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Nora Sulaiman Alorf
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yousif Asiri
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Peck KA, Usadi B, Mainor AJ, Fisher ES, Colla CH. ACO Contracts With Downside Financial Risk Growing, But Still In The Minority. Health Aff (Millwood) 2020; 38:1201-1206. [PMID: 31260361 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.05386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Success of the accountable care organization (ACO) model may require stronger financial incentives, such as including downside risk in contracts. Using the National Survey of ACOs, we explored ACO structure and contracts in 2012-18. Though the number of ACO contracts and the proportion of ACOs with multiple contracts have grown, the proportion bearing downside risk has increased only modestly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen A Peck
- Kristen A. Peck is a research project director at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, in Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Benjamin Usadi
- Benjamin Usadi is an analytic project coordinator at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
| | - Alexander J Mainor
- Alexander J. Mainor is a research project manager at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
| | - Elliott S Fisher
- Elliott S. Fisher is a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
| | - Carrie H Colla
- Carrie H. Colla ( ) is an associate professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
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13
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Field RI, Keller C, Louazel M. Can governments push providers to collaborate? A comparison of hospital network reforms in France and the United States. Health Policy 2020; 124:1100-1107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Ganguli I, Lupo C, Mainor AJ, Orav EJ, Blanchfield BB, Lewis VA, Colla CH. Association between specialist compensation and Accountable Care Organization performance. Health Serv Res 2020; 55:722-728. [PMID: 32715464 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) using cost reduction measures in specialist compensation demonstrated better performance. DATA SOURCES National, cross-sectional survey data on ACOs (2013-2015) linked to public-use data on ACO performance (2014-2016). STUDY DESIGN We compared characteristics of ACOs that did and did not report use of cost reduction measures in specialist compensation and determined the association between using this approach and ACO savings, outpatient spending, and specialist visit rates. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Of 160 ACOs surveyed, 26 percent reported using cost reduction measures to help determine specialist compensation. ACOs using cost reduction in specialist compensation were more often physician-led (68.3 vs 49.6 percent) and served higher-risk patients (mean Hierarchical Condition Category score 1.09 vs 1.05). These ACOs had similar savings per beneficiary year (adjusted difference $82.6 [95% CI -77.9, 243.1]), outpatient spending per beneficiary year (-24.0 [95% CI -248.9, 200.8]), and specialist visits per 1000 beneficiary years (369.7 [95% CI -9.3, 748.7]). CONCLUSION Incentivizing specialists on cost reduction was not associated with ACO savings in the short term. Further work is needed to determine the most effective approach to engage specialists in ACO efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Ganguli
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Claire Lupo
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexander J Mainor
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Endel John Orav
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bonnie B Blanchfield
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Valerie A Lewis
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Carrie H Colla
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, New Hampshire
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Five-year Impact of a Commercial Accountable Care Organization on Health Care Spending, Utilization, and Quality of Care. Med Care 2020; 57:845-854. [PMID: 31348124 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have proliferated after the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Few longitudinal ACO studies with continuous enrollees exist and most are short term. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term impact of a commercial ACO on health care spending, utilization, and quality outcomes among continuously enrolled members. RESEARCH DESIGN Retrospective cohort study design and propensity-weighted difference-in-differences approach were applied to examine performance changes in 2 ACO cohorts relative to 1 non-ACO cohort during the commercial ACO implementation in 2010-2014. SUBJECTS A total of 40,483 continuously enrolled members of a commercial health maintenance organization from 2008 to 2014. MEASURES Cost, use, and quality metrics for various type of services in outpatient and inpatient settings. RESULTS The ACO cohorts had (1) increased inpatient and outpatient total spending in the first 2 years of ACO operation, but insignificant differential changes for the latter 3 years; (2) decreased outpatient spending in the latter 2 years through reduced primary care visits and lowered spending on specialists, testing, and imaging; (3) no differential changes in inpatient hospital spending, utilization, and quality measures for most of the 5 years; (4) favorable results for several quality measures in preventive and diabetes care domains in at least one of the 5 years. CONCLUSIONS The commercial ACO improved outpatient process quality measures modestly and slowed outpatient spending growth by the fourth year of operation, but had a negligible impact on inpatient hospital cost, use, and quality measures.
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Performance in the Medicare Shared Savings Program by Accountable Care Organizations Disproportionately Serving Dual and Disabled Populations. Med Care 2019; 56:805-811. [PMID: 30036235 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The growth of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and other alternative payment models has prompted concern about whether these models will disadvantage providers who serve vulnerable populations, particularly those living in poverty or with a disability. OBJECTIVE To examine performance by ACOs in the top quintile of their proportion of beneficiaries dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (high-dual) and the top quintile of disabled beneficiaries (high-disabled). RESEARCH DESIGN This is a retrospective cohort study. SUBJECTS The 333 ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2014, followed through 2016. MEASURES Quality scores, savings per beneficiary, whether or not the ACO shared savings, and amount of shared savings. RESULTS High-dual and high-disabled ACOs had slightly lower quality and similar or higher baseline spending than other ACOs, but achieved greater savings per beneficiary than other ACOs ($212 vs. $51 for high-dual ACOs, P=0.04; $241 vs. $44 for high-disabled ACOs, P=0.012). Further, these ACOs were equally or more likely to earn shared savings; just over 30% of high-dual ACOs earned shared savings compared with 25% of non-high-dual ACOs (P=0.35) and 38% of high-disabled ACOs earned shared savings compared with 23% of non-high-disabled ACOs (P=0.013). In longitudinal analyses, we found a decrease in the differences in quality between high-social risk and other ACOs over time. Savings remained higher for high-dual and high-disabled ACOs relative to other ACOs over 2014-2016 though the gap narrowed over time. CONCLUSIONS High-dual and high-disabled ACOs had similar or higher spending than other ACOs at baseline, but achieved greater savings and were equally or more likely to earn shared savings, suggesting that alternative payment models can have positive financial outcomes for providers who serve vulnerable populations.
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Berkson S, Davis S, Karp Z, Jaffery J, Flood G, Pandhi N. Medicare Shared Savings Programs: Higher Cost Accountable Care Organizations are More Likely to Achieve Savings. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT 2018; 13:248-255. [PMID: 37786615 PMCID: PMC10544836 DOI: 10.1080/20479700.2018.1500760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
In the United States, Medicare's flagship Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program, the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), is under close scrutiny to improve health care quality and decrease costs. First year measures, released in November 2014, reveal a wide range of financial and quality performance across MSSP participants. In this observational study we used 2013 results for 220 participating ACOs to assess key characteristics associated with generating savings. ACOs with higher baseline expenditures were significantly more likely to generate savings than lower cost ACOs. Average quality scores for ACOs that successfully reported on quality were not different between organizations that did and did not generate savings. These findings suggest ACOs that had lower utilization prior to program enrollment are less likely to be rewarded in the current program. This has important policy implications for the MSSP's ability to attract and retain efficient ACOs and incent efforts to reduce waste and improve quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Berkson
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sarah Davis
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zaher Karp
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan Jaffery
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Grace Flood
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nancy Pandhi
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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18
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Zhu X, Mueller K, Huang H, Ullrich F, Vaughn T, MacKinney AC. Organizational Attributes Associated With Medicare ACO Quality Performance. J Rural Health 2018; 35:68-77. [DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhu
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
| | - Keith Mueller
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
| | - Huang Huang
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
| | - Fred Ullrich
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
| | - Thomas Vaughn
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
| | - A Clinton MacKinney
- Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health; University of Iowa; Iowa City Iowa
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Abstract
The accountable care organization (ACO) concept is advocated as a promising value-based payment model that could successfully realign the current payment system to financially reward improvements in quality and efficiency. Focusing on the care of hospitalized patients and controlling a substantive portion of variable hospital expenses, hospitalists are poised to play an essential role in system-level transformational change to achieve clinical integration. Especially through hospital and health system quality improvement (QI) initiatives, hospitalists can directly impact and share accountability for measures ranging from care coordination to implementation of evidence-based care and the patient and family caregiver experience. Regardless of political terrain, financial constraints in healthcare will foster continued efforts to promote formation of ACOs that aim to deliver coordinated, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. Hospitalists possess the clinical experience of caring for complex patients with multiple comorbidities and the QI skills needed to lead efforts in this new ACO era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Center for Health Services Research, University of Kentucky, USA
- Office for Value & Innovation in Healthcare Delivery, UK HealthCare, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Mark J Williams
- Center for Health Services Research, University of Kentucky, USA.
- Office for Value & Innovation in Healthcare Delivery, UK HealthCare, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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20
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Comfort LN, Shortell SM, Rodriguez HP, Colla CH. Medicare Accountable Care Organizations of Diverse Structures Achieve Comparable Quality and Cost Performance. Health Serv Res 2018; 53:2303-2323. [PMID: 29388199 DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine whether an empirically derived taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is associated with quality and spending performance among patients of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). DATA SOURCES Three waves of the National Survey of ACOs and corresponding publicly available Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance data for NSACO respondents participating in the MSSP (N = 204); SK&A Office Based Physicians Database from QuintilesIMS. STUDY DESIGN We compare the performance of three ACO types (physician-led, integrated, and hybrid) for three domains: quality, spending, and likelihood of achieving savings. Sources of performance variation within and between ACO types are compared for each performance measure. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS There is greater heterogeneity within ACO types than between ACO types. There were no consistent differences in quality by ACO type, nor were there differences in likelihood of achieving savings or overall spending per-person-year. There was evidence for higher spending on physician services for physician-led ACOs. CONCLUSIONS ACOs of diverse structures perform comparably on core MSSP quality and spending measures. CMS should maintain its flexibility and continue to support participation of diverse ACOs. Future research to identify modifiable organizational factors that account for performance variation within ACO types may provide insight as to how best to improve ACO performance based on organizational structure and ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Carrie H Colla
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
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21
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Kaufman BG, Spivack BS, Stearns SC, Song PH, O'Brien EC. Impact of Accountable Care Organizations on Utilization, Care, and Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Med Care Res Rev 2017; 76:255-290. [PMID: 29231131 DOI: 10.1177/1077558717745916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Since 2010, more than 900 accountable care organizations (ACOs) have formed payment contracts with public and private insurers in the United States; however, there has not been a systematic evaluation of the evidence studying impacts of ACOs on care and outcomes across payer types. This review evaluates the quality of evidence regarding the association of public and private ACOs with health service use, processes, and outcomes of care. The 42 articles identified studied ACO contracts with Medicare ( N = 24 articles), Medicaid ( N = 5), commercial ( N = 11), and all payers ( N = 2). The most consistent associations between ACO implementation and outcomes across payer types were reduced inpatient use, reduced emergency department visits, and improved measures of preventive care and chronic disease management. The seven studies evaluating patient experience or clinical outcomes of care showed no evidence that ACOs worsen outcomes of care; however, the impact on patient care and outcomes should continue to be monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brystana G Kaufman
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,2 Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - B Steven Spivack
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sally C Stearns
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Paula H Song
- 1 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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22
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elliott S. Fisher
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
| | - Carrie H. Colla
- The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
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23
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Lewis VA, Tierney KI, Fraze T, Murray GF. Care Transformation Strategies and Approaches of Accountable Care Organizations. Med Care Res Rev 2017; 76:291-314. [PMID: 29090623 DOI: 10.1177/1077558717737841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although accountable care organizations (ACOs) proliferate, little is known about the activities and strategies ACOs are pursuing to meet goals of reducing costs and improving quality. We use semistructured interviews with executives at 16 ACOs to understand ACO approaches. We identified two overarching ACO approaches to changing clinical care: a practice-based transformation approach, working to overhaul care processes and teams from the inside out; and an overlay approach, where ACO activities were centralized and delivered external to physician practices. We additionally identified four methods ACOs were using to achieve their aims: using patient support roles; targeted clinics, events, programs, and interventions; clinical process standardization; and tracking and identifying patients on which to focus resources. We expect that ACOs using either of the major approaches can succeed under current ACO programs, but that as value-based payment programs mature, ACOs will need to undertake practice-based approaches to be successful in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A Lewis
- 1 The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | | | - Taressa Fraze
- 1 The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Genevra F Murray
- 1 The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, USA
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Colla CH, Fisher ES. Moving Forward With Accountable Care Organizations: Some Answers, More Questions. JAMA Intern Med 2017; 177:527-528. [PMID: 28192555 PMCID: PMC5504469 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.9122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie H Colla
- Geisel School of Medicine, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Elliott S Fisher
- Geisel School of Medicine, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, New Hampshire
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