Accountable Care Organizations: What Providers Need to Know

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), established the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program) on January 1, 2012, as required by the Affordable Care Act. The Shared Savings Program is a voluntary program designed to provide better care for patients, better health for our communities, and lower costs through improvements in the health care system. Specifically, the program allows doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers to better coordinate care for Medicare patients through Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Participation in an ACO creates incentives for health . . .