Study: ACO Precursor Spurs Savings in Medical Practices
A five-year program considered a precursor to the Affordable Care Act's Medicare accountable care organization program generated $532 in average annual savings per "dual eligible" patient, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Such patients are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Launched in 2005, CMS's Physician Group Practice Demonstration involved 10 large medical practices nationwide and awarded bonus payments based on practices' ability to meet spending and quality benchmarks.
- "Spending Varied Widely in Early ACO Test, Report Says" (Evans, Modern Healthcare, 9/11).
- "Medicare Pilot Program Shows Cost Savings For Treating Dual-Eligibles" (Kulkarni, "Capsules," Kaiser Health News, 9/11).
- "Doctor Incentive Groups May Save Money, With Effort" (Pittman, Reuters, 9/11).
- "New Medical Care Networks Show Savings" (Goodnough, New York Times, 9/11).