Although healthcare executives may be split on their support or opposition to accountable care organizations (ACOs), the touted costs savings attached to ACOs may be winning over the provider groups, reports USA Today.
Between 60 and 80 healthcare organizations currently use private accountable care models, according to Elliott Fisher, director of Dartmouth's Center for Health Policy Research, according to the article. By, next year, that number will rise to 100 ACOs.
According to Dartmouth and the Brookings Institution, by 2013, there will be 200 ACOs and soar between 500 and 1,000 within three years.
Why the surge? Some organizations believe there's more to be gained with ACOs.
"It's a risk, but the payoff is better," said Judith Rich, president of TMC Healthcare in Arizona, in the article. "It's like the stock market."
Mayo Clinic, who will be notably absent from the ACO program, said the program might not be the best move for some institutions. "If you're already a high-quality, low-cost facility, it's really hard to move up," said Patricia Simmons, medical director of government relations at Mayo. "So what's the incentive? If you have less quality, you've got a great opportunity."
For more:
- read the USA Today article
Related Articles:
MGMA: HIT, ACOs top medical practices' struggles
Why ACOs are still a hard sell
Step-by-step quality improvement measures can ease ACO implementation
McClellan: ACOs difficult but possible