Hospital organizations in Mississippi and Florida partnered with Caravan Health, which provides accountable care programs to hospitals, to launch statewide ACOs.
In January, the Mississippi Hospital Association agreed to sponsor the nation's first statewide ACO. The ACO, Myriad Health Alliance, is owned and operated by participating hospitals, who coordinate care for Medicare patients statewide.
The Florida Hospital Association followed suit in March, launching an ACO that allows independent Florida hospitals to coordinate care and lower costs for Medicare patients.
Under these types of partnerships, independent hospitals and providers work together as one system to share data and manage care.