ACO Principles Worth Fighting For

Much has been and continues to be said about the shortcomings of the CMS regulations/requirements associated with the CMS Accountable CARE Organization initiatives.  The WSJ recently posted an article claiming that “the draft rule is so awful that even the models for it say they won’t participate.”  

It’s true: many of the regulations proffered to date are cumbersome and disproportionately focused on the financial and compliance aspects of the program. Nonetheless, the philosophical underpinnings of the ACO program, the triple aim of better access, better quality and more cost effective care, are principles worth fighting for when it comes to the delivery of healthcare to our healthcare consumers, Medicare or otherwise.

The deficiencies of the ACO regulations notwithstanding, CMS/CMMI has challenged interested healthcare organizations to propose innovative alternatives to what has been proposed. We at Gorman Health Group embrace that challenge and will continue to participate with CMS and interested healthcare organizations in creating an ACO approach which passes the test of providing the right care, at the right time, in the right setting, and at the right price. We invite you to come join us.