What ACOs Mean for Hospitals: Q&A with Dr. Marc Bard of Navigant Consulting

Q: What role do accountable care organizations play in healthcare reform?

Dr. Marc Bard: ACOs make up only a small portion of the reform law, way out of proportion to the interest and enthusiasm they have garnered from healthcare leaders. The law makes just 14 stipulations about ACOs. They have to bring together "groups of providers of services and suppliers meeting criteria specified by the [HHS] Secretary"; they have to be "willing to become accountable for the quality, cost and overall care of the Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries assigned to it"; and they have to enter into a three-year agreement at minimum.

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