5 Secrets to ACO Success

Everyone seems to agree that perfect model for an accountable care organization doesn't exist, at least not yet. Industry executives I have spoken to are of the opinion that ACOs will probably be in transition over the next decade as providers test a variety of models to find that sweet spot where quality and cost effectiveness intersect.

In the meantime, they are, for the most part, none too thrilled with the Feds' proposed rules on ACOs.

Still there are certain core competencies – the must haves – that ACOs will need to incorporate into their organizations to ensure that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Don Berwick's three-part aim is achieved – better care, better health, and lower costs.

Speaking Monday at the National ACO Summit, ACO representatives from advocacy groups, business associations, CMS and health plans revealed the strategies that they believe will separate the successful ACOs from the just so-so ACOs. The overarching theme was that transparency – whether you're talking about incentive payments or clinical leadership – will play an important role in how employers, patients and providers view the ACO.