Newswise — ALEXANDRIA, VA--The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) announced that 21 of its members were among the 32 organizations chosen to participate in the Pioneer ACO Model initiative. The Pioneer ACO Model is a CMS Innovation Center initiative designed to support organizations with experience operating as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) or in similar arrangements in providing more coordinated care to beneficiaries at a lower cost to Medicare. The Pioneer ACO Model will test the impact of different payment arrangements in helping these organizations achieve the goals of providing better care to patients, and reducing Medicare costs.
“We congratulate AMGA members and commend their willingness to participate,” said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, AMGA president and chief executive officer. “AMGA members have always been on the forefront of the ACO movement, and the enthusiasm of these groups to explore new payment models confirms that they are truly pioneers, with a bold vision and a willingness to learn, change, adapt, and lead by example, all in pursuit of bending the cost curve and for the ultimate betterment of patient care.”
AMGA members chosen for the Pioneer ACO Model include:
1. Allina Hospitals & Clinics 2. Atrius Health Services 3. Banner Health Network 4. Bellin-Thedacare Healthcare Partners 5. Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization 6. Brown & Toland Physicians 7. Dartmouth-Hitchcock ACO 8. Fairview Health Systems 9. Franciscan Health System 10. Genesys 11. Healthcare Partners Medical Group 12. Healthcare Partners of Nevada13. Montefiore Medical Center – Bronx Accountable Healthcare Network14. North Texas Specialty Physicians 15. Park Nicollet Health Services 16. Partners Healthcare 17. Physician Health Partners 18. Presbyterian Healthcare Services – Central New Mexico Pioneer Accountable Care Organization 19. Seton Health Alliance 20. Sharp Healthcare 21. University of Michigan
Additional information about the Pioneer ACO Model is available on the Pioneer ACO Model website at www.innovations.cms.gov/initiatives/aco/pioneer.
To help these Pioneer ACO Model members and others negotiating the ACO terrain, AMGA recently created the second phase of its Accountable Care Collaborative: Transforming to a Value-Based System of Care. It will focus on the fundamental organizational, systems, and culture changes necessary for successful transformation to a value-based system of care, regardless of the path chosen-- the Pioneer ACO Program, CMS's Shared Savings Program, commercial ACOs, or other models yet to emerge. For more details, visit www.amga.org/Research/Research/ACO/phase2_aco.asp.
The American Medical Group Association represents medical groups, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious medical practices, independent practice associations, and integrated healthcare delivery systems. AMGA's mission is to improve health care for patients by supporting multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care. The members of AMGA deliver health care to approximately 110 million patients in 49 states, nearly 1 in 3 Americans. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for medical groups, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs and publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. www.amga.org