Four primary care medical associations — American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians and American Osteopathic Association — released their joint principles for accountable care organizations, according to an AAFP news release.
The three-page document contains principles the organizations wrote together regarding the structure and payment models of ACOs. Among the principles listed, the associations express support for a variety of payment approaches for ACOs, including blended fee-for-service/prospective payment, shared savings, episodic or case rate methodologies and partial capitation.
Here are few of the other principles mentioned in the document:
Structurally, an ACO should, among other things,
• implement clinically integrated information systems;
• encourage patient selection of a primary care physician if the patient is assigned to an ACO or otherwise ensure voluntary ACO participation by all participants; and
• allow physician participation in multiple ACOs.
Payment models and incentives must, among other things,
• align mutual accountability at all levels;
• reflect the relative contributions of participating physicians and other health care professionals as they seek to increase health care quality, efficiency and value; and
• base rewards for performance on target levels of performance, achievement and improvement that have been developed with significant input from physicians and other health care professionals.
Read the AAFP release and the new joint guidelines on ACOs.
Read more about ACOs:
-CMS Asks When Medicare Beneficiaries Should be Assigned to ACOs
-While Health Reform Faces Challenge, Repeal of ACOs Unlikely
-What Financial Incentives Should ACOs Work Under, FTC Asks
The three-page document contains principles the organizations wrote together regarding the structure and payment models of ACOs. Among the principles listed, the associations express support for a variety of payment approaches for ACOs, including blended fee-for-service/prospective payment, shared savings, episodic or case rate methodologies and partial capitation.
Here are few of the other principles mentioned in the document:
Structurally, an ACO should, among other things,
• implement clinically integrated information systems;
• encourage patient selection of a primary care physician if the patient is assigned to an ACO or otherwise ensure voluntary ACO participation by all participants; and
• allow physician participation in multiple ACOs.
Payment models and incentives must, among other things,
• align mutual accountability at all levels;
• reflect the relative contributions of participating physicians and other health care professionals as they seek to increase health care quality, efficiency and value; and
• base rewards for performance on target levels of performance, achievement and improvement that have been developed with significant input from physicians and other health care professionals.
Read the AAFP release and the new joint guidelines on ACOs.
Read more about ACOs:
-CMS Asks When Medicare Beneficiaries Should be Assigned to ACOs
-While Health Reform Faces Challenge, Repeal of ACOs Unlikely
-What Financial Incentives Should ACOs Work Under, FTC Asks