The American Medical Group Association has pushed back on the Obama Administration's recently released regulations on accountable care organizations, claiming they are too costly and complex to administer and enforce, reports the Associated Press.
The AMGA, which represents 400 medical groups that provide care for about 100 million Americans, expressed concern in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that their constituents could be left holding the bag on too many ACO-related costs. It claimed up to 90 percent of its membership would not participate under the current regulations.
The regulations are "overly prescriptive, operationally burdensome, and the incentives are too difficult to achieve to make this voluntary program attractive," the AMGA asserted in its letter.
"It's not just a simple tweak, it's a significant change that needs to be made," said AMGA President Donald Fisher.
However, Fisher does not believe the Obama Administration will easily back off the proposed regulations because they are projected to save nearly $1 billion during the first decade ACOs are implemented.
For more information:
- read the Associated Press article
- read the AMGA letter (.pdf)