New trend: Mix of private exchanges and ACOs

The health insurance industry may soon see a mashup of private exchanges and accountable care organizations, according to LifeHealth Pro. Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini said last week the insurer hopes to include private exchanges on its ACO model and give individuals and small groups the option to shop for bundles of healthcare services from various provider systems. Bloom Health, which operates an online marketplace, continually promotes its exchange-ACO program. Highlighting consumer interest in the mashup, when offered the option to use an ACO versus a traditional health insurance carrier, half of employees pick the ACO, noted Bloom Health Simeon Schindleman. Article