7 Characteristics of Highly Successful ACO’s

rends toward providers joining Accountable Care Organizations have continued to rise, but not all ACO’s are created equal. It’s become clear that some ACOs out there aren’t achieving the kind of success that was originally hoped for by their creators. Why is it that some organizations are making a difference and others aren’t? We’ve identified some of the characteristics of highly successful ACO’s, so you can determine which organizations are making real progress and which ones are just doing it for publicity. Remember to value substance over style!

-       Are providers willing to take capitation risks? If so, it shows that they’re dedicated to the overall cause of making health costs and medical bills less of a challenge for their patients.

-       Do they have providers with a deep understanding of the organizations financials? If they do not, then it will be challenging to make a true shift to value-based care.

-       Is there a physician willing to tackle the disruption associated with potential financial cannibalization until new centers are built? It’s important to have someone step up who is willing to take risks.

-       Is there an active clinical leader dedicated to cultural evolution? It’s important not to play it safe, but to make a name for yourself in the evolving medical community.

-       Is physician compensation focused on value? The goal should be to improve overall care quality and create personalized experiences for every patient while rewarding physicians for adopting the value-based model.

-       Are there benefits designed to keep members within the ACO? Patients care about the quality of their care and working with the best physicians possible, but to truly create the best patient-ACO relationship, a benefits system being set in place will strengthen their brand-loyalty.

-       Are the value-models commercialized to build volume and improve brand recognition? The marketing team for an ACO needs to make sure they make it easy for patients to understand what makes your organization so great and ensuring that when they think about their ACO options, they remember your name.

Ultimately, ACOs can be great in theory, but without a strong physician leader and a team dedicated to igniting change in the industry and local medical community, the efforts could fall flat. Everyone can get behind the cause for lowering health care costs, but is your organization doing everything they can? 

ACO Update: The Rise of Physician-Led ACOs

In the June issue of Health Affairs a study was published discussing ACO’s and the rise in physician leadership within the organizations.  One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act was to hold physicians more responsible for the care of their patients, by rewarding healthcare providers for improving the quality of care and lowering healthcare costs, the ACO model was born. Slow to start, ACOs have no risen in popularity, with more than 600 Accountable Care Organizations operating throughout the U.S.

“What is an ACO? — An ACO is an accountable care organization made up of doctors, medical groups, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals who work together to deliver high-quality, coordinated care to the patients they serve.”

— Healthcare Partners

There are many various types of ACOs, some are made up of solely primary care providers, others include a variety of specialists and others encompass hospitals and post-acute care providers. However, the study showed that physician-led structures seem to be operating best, meaning they are more likely to have complete care management programs, advanced IT programs and the most satisfied patients.

Former CMS Administrator, Dr. Mark McClellan attributes this to physicians’ personal experience and ability to identify areas for improvement firsthand and measure the impact of their efforts. The Director of the Dartmouth Institute and co-author of this study, Elliott Fisher, MD, MPH stated, “Physicians’ buy-in the payment reform is likely to be critical to the success of the health care reform.” He continued to say; “The findings suggest that physicians are taking seriously their responsibility to lead change in the health care system on behalf of their patients.”

It is certainly pleasing to know that physicians are in support of these changes and are taking on the responsibility of helping to ensure the betterment of care for their patients. As more ACOs are brought together, this report will help providers determine if the path is right for them and consider which structure is best.

To read more about how ACOs originated and to view statistics on the success some organizations have found, check out the Health Affairs blog here: http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2014/05/30/aco-results-what-we-know-so-far/

Health Care Marketing Tools

As promised below are the links to download the white papers of all abstracts presented at Atlantic Health Solutions’ Health Care Marketing Representative and Operations Corporate Training.

Accountable Care Organizations & Radiology here

Changes in Reimbursement in Diagnostic Imaging here

Staffing Changes in Radiology Practices here

Decline in Primary Care Physician Payments here

Trends of HPV and Head & Neck Cancer here

Pay Cuts to Radiology Industry here

Marketing to Patients With New Technology here

Obamacare Effect on Baby Boomer Population here

Effects of Oral Sedation here

Why to Outsource Medical Billing here

Detecting Alzheimer’s With PET/CT Scans here

How Much Danger’s In a Dose of Radiation? here

The Uninsured Patient Population here

Learn more about our work at our website or by contacting marketing@atlantic-hs.com