Complimentary from the publisher

Complimentary from the publishers of Accountable Care News January, 2015

The Health Insurance Exchange Directory 2015

"Will the ACO section of the Affordable Care Act and the rules implementing it become a target of the Republican Congress? Some of the less politically high-profile changes the GOP wants to see in the ACA may well end up in 'can't veto' legislation. ACOs fit in that category of 'insiders care, the public doesn't much.' If the status quo prevails, other challenges will predominate in the ACO movement. If it doesn't, whatever Congress does moves to the top of the list. The culture shock and belief in new methods over what is known may stifle progress."
- Michael L. Millenson, President, Health Quality Advisors, LLC

In September, CMS announced that Park Nicollet was one of 11 Pioneer ACOs to earn a bonus for meeting or exceeding 33 quality measures in 2013. In addition to the firefighter pilot program, other initiatives include a care consultant program that provided home visits to patients with multiple illnesses that decreased hospital visits by 15 percent and an after-hours call program for frail elderly in nursing homes that avoided trips to the emergency room and reduced medical costs by $2 million in 2013.

Excerpted from: Accountable Care News, Volume 6 Number 1, January 2015, "A Pioneer ACO Firefighter Visit Program to Prevent Hospital Readmissions"

Accountable Care Organizations: Like H.M.O.s, but Different
New York Times, January 19, 2015

Accountable Care Organizations Rapidly Changing Healthcare Marketplace
IT Business Net, January 16, 2015

Hospital CEOs Can Leverage Accountable Care for Financial Health
Health IT Analytics, January 14, 2015

Midwest Takes the Lead in Accountable Care Collaboration
Health IT Analytics, January 13, 2015

Accountable Care, Patient Portals Lag behind Expectations
EHR Intelligence, January 12, 2015

Patients Value ACO Experience
Managed Care Magazine, January 9, 2015

Accountable Care Organizations Collaborate for Value-Based Care
Health IT Analytics, January 8, 2015

Rural Health Providers Form New Accountable Care Organizations
EHR Intelligence, January 8, 2015

The Pioneer ACO: A Strategy for Population Health Management By Emily Brower
Nationwide Rural ACO Reduces Costs in MSSP by Harnessing Data By Lynn Barr
Editor's Corner: The Editor's Thank You for 2014
Pioneer ACO Firefighter Visit Program to Prevent Hospital Readmissions By Roxanna Gapstur, PhD
Thought Leader's Corner: "What is the greatest challenge facing the ACO movement in 2015?"
Industry News with briefs regarding CMMI; CMS; American Journal of Managed Care; Humana; HealthNet and John Muir Health; Walgreens; and KLAS
Catching Up with ... Mark McClellan, MD, PhD

There's no cost to participate in the Accountable Care News LinkedIn Group where you can Network, exchange information, and follow current developments with other professionals interested in accountable care organizations. You can sign up now at: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3066715

Subscribe to the Bulletin | About Accountable Care News | Promotional Opportunities

Accountable Care Bulletin, a publication of Health Policy Publishing LLC
1101 Standiford Avenue, Suite C-3, Modesto, CA 95350
(v) 209.577.4888 | (f) 209.577.3557 | (e) info@accountablecarenews.com
© 2015, Health Policy Publishing LLC