5 Tips on Preparing for Accountable Care Organizations

In order to qualify as an ACO, an organization must:
1. Have a formal legal structure to receive and distribute shared savings.
2. Have at least 5,000 beneficiaries.
3. Participate in the program for at least three years.
4. Have sufficient information on participating ACO healthcare professionals.
5. Have a leadership and management structure that includes clinical and administrative systems.
6. Have defined processes to promote evidence-based medicine, report data to evaluate quality and cost measures and coordinate care.
7. Demonstrate that it meets patient-centered criteria.

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