Complimentary from the publishers of Accountable Care News                   April 9, 2012
	"Legal barriers traditionally have prevented innovative care delivery models from taking root. The current safe harbor provides the appropriate level of legal assurance and will allow a variety of ACO models to be tested over time, both in the Medicare program and among private payors. This should permit hospitals to collaborate with non-owned providers, share data across the continuum, and financially reward physicians for improved outcomes and reduced costs. These new abilities are foundational to the ACO and will allow for improved care coordination, greater provider cooperation and enhanced services for consumers. It’s important to remember that the anti-trust protections don’t waive anti-trust scrutiny. The Federal Trade Commission still ensures adequate competition and fairness in the marketplace. In this way, the anti-trust protections strike the right balance.” Wes Champion, Senior Vice President of Premier Consulting Solutions, Premier Healthcare Alliance
	Illinois’ largest hospital system and biggest health insurer agreed in late 2010 to form an accountable care organization. Now, with six months of operating data in hand, Advocate and partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois claim spending reductions that are greater than those for patients outside the network. For the first six months of 2011, AdvocateCare’s hospital admissions per member fell 10.6% compared with 2010 results, and emergency room visits were down 5.4%. Excerpted from New Insurer-Hospital ACO Touts Early Success, Kaiser Health News Blog: Capsules
	Path Set for Accountable Care Organizations in Healthcare Delivery Insurance Journal, April 3, 2012
	Becoming Accountable: Delivering Value-Based Care Through Optimal Use of IT & Data iHealthBeat, April 2, 2012
	Evolution of Medicare ACOs Lexology, March 20, 2012
	Accountability care organizations need good data Indianapolis Business Journal, March 17, 2012
	Quality missing from ACO equation? FierceHealthcare, March 13, 2012
	Advancing the Capabilities of Safety Net Accountable Care Organizations UC Berkeley School of Public Health, March 2012
	Designing a Patient-Centered ACO by Michealle Gady, J.D So You Want To Be an ACO Data Analyst? 10 Steps to First Year Success by Bob Kelley Editor’s Corner Report from the Field: The Monarch ACO - Bart Asner, MD Can Participation in an ACO Cause a Nonprofit Hospital's Bonds to Become Taxable? by Alexander B. Buchanan Thought Leader’s Corner: The Billian’s HealthDATA/Porter Research white paper cited last month noted that hospitals are drivers of ACO formation largely for purposes of market share, and Moody’s recently predicted continuing merger activity to strengthen balance sheets and bond ratings. The question this month is: are the anti-trust protections in the ACO regulations regarding hospital market share too lenient, too stringent, or about right? Industry News with briefs regarding CMS, Nursing Alliance for Quality Care, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, AMA, Aetna Foundation, University of California and Westmed Catching Up with…. Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE Click here to view page one of this issue Click here to subscribe to Accountable Care News, or find out more
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