Colchester-based OneCare Vermont beat out the state's other two accountable care organizations to be Vermont's partner in a Medicaid initiative that would mirror the Next Generation ACO model, according to Vermont Business Magazine.
As the successful bidder, OneCare Vermont will now enter negotiations with the Department of Vermont Health Access to create a program that would pay the ACO prospectively to provide Medicaid services, according to the report. OneCare Vermont is a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO and has previously worked with the state on its Vermont Health Care Innovation Project, which is funded by the federal grants for State Innovation Models.
The industry move from volume to value is the impetus behind the partnership. The state has been working with the Green Mountain Care Board to see if the Next Generation ACO model could be viably spread across all the payers in the state, including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid, according to the report. The Green Mountain Care Board was created by state legislature to reduce the rate of healthcare cost growth while maintaining quality and access. Negotiations with the board are ongoing, according to the report.
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