Proposed New Rules Guide Medical Practices in the Creation of Accountable Care Organizations
4/11/2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released its proposed rules for the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The proposed rules will guide doctors, hospitals, and other providers on the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”) and are mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
The goal of ACOs is to focus on the needs of patients through better coordinated care, which in return could result in decreased costs. ACOs that prove success in lowering the costs would be rewarded by sharing those savings with Medicare. ACOs must meet quality standards in five key areas to be eligible to share in these savings. The five key areas are:
- Patient/caregiver care experience;
- Care coordination;
- Patient safety;
- Preventative health; and
- At-risk population/frail elderly health
Proposal details can be found
here. If you have any questions or would like to further discuss how this may impact your practice, please contact Richard Puzo, CPA, a J.H. Cohn partner and director of the Firm’s Medical Industry Practice, at
rpuzo@jhcohn.com or 973-364-6675, or your J.H. Cohn engagement partner at 877-704-3500.