3 more Pioneer ACOs exit program

Three accountable care organizations from across the country have announced they're exiting the Pioneer program, leaving only 19 of the original 32 Pioneer ACOs, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

One of the ACOs leaving the program is Flint, Mich.-based Genesys Physician Hospital Organization, which is a collaboration between Genesys Health System and Genesys Physicians Group Practice. CMS named the PHO to participate in the Pioneer ACO program in late 2011.

Although Genesys PHO improved utilization, improved quality and lowered healthcare costs, it did not lower Medicare spending enough to meet the national benchmark, which Genesys PHO believes is an unrealistic one, according to the Journal. The PHO saved Medicare more than $20 million over the last two years.

Genesys PHO is going to apply to enter the Medicare Shared Savings Programs, which would allow the organization to share in savings but not be at risk for losses.

Mishawaka, Ind.-based Franciscan Alliance is also leaving the Pioneer program. The ACO was formed in February 2010 and was named a Pioneer ACO in late December 2011. Although Franciscan Alliance improved quality, the ACO did not meet its benchmark and will not receive a shared savings payment from Medicare for 2013.

It is expected that Franciscan Alliance's results for this year will be similar to those in 2013, which has led the ACO to leave the Pioneer program today and apply to transition to the MSSP, according to Jennifer A. Westfall, regional vice president of Franciscan Alliance ACO.  

CMS has also confirmed Wayne, Pa.-based Renaissance Health Network will be leaving the Pioneer program, according to the Journal.

Last July, nine of the original Pioneer ACOs announced their departure from the program, and last month San-Diego-based Sharp Healthcare announced it was leaving the program after determining its ACO was at risk for "significant shared loss" for performance year three.

Below are the 19 original Pioneer ACOs that remain in the program.

1. Minneapolis-based Allina Hospitals and Clinics

2. Newton, Mass.-based Atrius Health

3. Phoenix-based Banner Health Network

4. Green Bay, Wis.-based Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners

5. Westwood, Mass.-based Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization

6. New York City-based Montefiore ACO

7. San Francisco-based Brown & Toland Physicians  

8. Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth-Hitchcock ACO

9. Brewer, Maine-based Beacon Health

10. Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services

11. Northridge, Calif.-based Heritage California ACO

12. Detroit-based Michigan Pioneer ACO

13. Irvine, Calif.-based Monarch Healthcare

14. Mount Auburn Cambridge (Mass.) Independent Practice Association

15. Peoria, Ill.-based OSF Healthcare System

16. Minneapolis-based Park Nicollet Health Services

17. Boston-based Partners HealthCare

18. Boston-based Steward Promise

19. Fort Dodge, Iowa-based Trinity Pioneer ACO

More articles on ACOs:

ACOs in Pioneer Model, Shared Savings Program improve quality, generate savings: 10 things to know
10 recently announced accountable care agreements
15 Medicare Shared Savings ACOs that generated the most savings in 2013