Pioneer accountable care organizations (ACOs) reported a modest drop in the use of so-called "low-value" healthcare services, such as unnecessary cancer screenings, imaging services or cardiac tests, according to a new study published by JAMA Internal Medicine. Altogether, Pioneer ACOs reduced low-value service volume 1.9 percent during their first year of operation, leading to a 4.5 percent drop in spending on those services. "These results are consistent with the hypothesis that alternative payment models with global budgets can discourage overuse even while preserving broad provider discretion in determining which services are of low value," wrote the study's authors. Read the full article at FierceHealthcare