Medicare ACOs Continue to Improve Quality of Care, Generate Shared Savings

FORT WORTH, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued 2014 quality and
financial performance results showing that more Medicare Accountable
Care Organizations (ACOs) continue to generate financial savings while
improving the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries by fostering
greater collaboration between doctors, hospitals, and health care
providers.

When an ACO demonstrates that it has achieved high-quality care and
effectively reducing spending of health care dollars above certain
thresholds, it is able to share in the savings generated for Medicare.
In 2014, 20 Pioneer and 333 Shared Savings Program ACOs generated more
than $411 million in savings, which includes all ACOs savings and
losses. The results also show that ACOs with more experience in the
program tend to perform better over time.

Medicare ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care
providers, who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated high
quality care to their Medicare patients. The goal of coordinated care is
to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right
care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of
services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO exceeds quality and
financial thresholds – demonstrating achievement of high-quality care
and wiser spending of health care dollars – it is able to share in the
savings generated for Medicare.

Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas is one of the ACOs that
generated shared savings.

Dr. Samuel C. Lee, ACO physician participant from Fort Worth, Texas,
said he is pleased the ACO generated $1.4 million in shared savings.
“Our 2014 results show that our primary care physicians are lowering
costs and improving patient care by bringing care coordination and
value-based care to the Medicare population,” Dr. Lee said. “We are
excited for what this means for the future of healthcare in our
community.”

For more detailed quality and financial results, click
here.

Additional Resources

Visit the Medicare
Shared Savings Program News and Updates webpage to access the HHS
press release and fact sheet, the link to the Performance Year 2014
results file, and to learn more about the program.

Contacts

Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas
Rachael Susaneck,
202-585-2037