Healthcare is joining the network economy.
Let’s adapt strategy and business models for
success during the upcoming transformation.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have been likened to a unicorn — a fantastic creature that is vested with mythical powers. But no one has actually seen one. a camel — a horse designed by a committee, one that already has its nose in the tent With this background, you can begin to appreciate the difficulty of [...]
I doubt it. IMHO, the recent acquisition by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of West Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) for $475 M is unique to local market conditions. It was done as a last resort and should not be taken as a signal that health plans are starting a hospital buying binge. Why are hospitals [...]
It’s time to call it — the Medicare Shared Savings (SS) ACO is dead-in-the-water. Ironically — at the same time — commercial payers are awakening to ACO opportunities. Please read further. Tags: accountable care organizations, ACO, hospital, Medicare
Major U.S. health insurers, including Aetna Inc., Humana Inc. and WellPoint Inc., are retooling to become more than just health plans, in the wake of the federal health-care overhaul that is changing the rules for the industry’s core business. Diversification plans, touted in meetings with investors this year, include stepped up acquisitions and partnerships that [...]
Reprinted courtesy of MCOL. Perspectives on a Selected Key Topic | April 2011/May 2011 | Volume Three Issue Two Will a material number of hospitals and their core medical staffs, that are relatively independent, evolve into highly integrated delivery systems during this decade, and why? William J DeMarco MA, CMC President and CEO, Pendulum HealthCare [...]
On March 31, CMS released the long-awaited “Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations” document (ACO Rule). Read the details here (strong suggestion: unless you’re working on your PhD in ACOs, start with the fact sheets). There are many surprises. Here are eight first impressions on this 429 page tome: The bar has been set [...]
On Friday April 1st, 2011 (yes, ‘April Fools day’) at 4 PM Eastern and 1 PM Pacific ACO Watch: A Mid Week Review will host a special roundtable series on the ‘hot of the press’ Notice of Proposed Rules’ pertaining to the implementation of Accountable Care Organizations. For the published rule, click here. The roundtable team will [...]
429 p. Proposed ACO Rule ACO Fact sheet from HHS Medicare Fact Sheet: What Providers Need to Know HHS press release Don Berwick’s article on ACOs in the NEJM ACO Quality Performance Standards Summary FTC/DOJ Joint Antitrust Statement on ACOs TheHill article “Leaked memo reveals Dem strategy for defending healthcare reg” The leaked memo Tags: [...]
Let me try to get you in the right frame of mind to read one of the most remarkable white papers in a long time: Better to BEST: Value Driving Elements of the Patient Centered Medical Home and Accountable Care Organizations — released yesterday by the Commonwealth Fund, Dartmouth Institute, and PCPCC. Having been a [...]
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