When It Comes to ACO Strategy, One Size Won't Fit All

In a paper published in the American Journal of Accountable Care, VSSL members Drs. Leah Marcotte and Joshua Liao describe how one size will not fit all when it comes to ACO strategy.

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As Drs. Marcotte and Liao note:

"Over the past decade, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have expanded across payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurers. Participation among provider organizations has also increased over time, to the point where companies have emerged with the sole purpose of helping health systems succeed in prominent ACOs, such as the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Although ACOs all possess a set of core features that define the payment model, differences across payer types and patient populations mean that no single strategy will be effective for all types of ACOs. Provider organizations would be best served considering and participating in ACOs after they have considered these differences and their implications for care delivery initiatives that can support ACO success."

Drs. Marcotte and Liao sought to advance the discourse about payment models by highlighting 3 factors that differ across different types of ACOs:

1. Clinical complexity of ACO populations

2. Social complexity of ACO populations

3. ACO network configuration

Read the full article here and learn more about VSSL work here.