Fitting Specialty Care Into ACOs

The footprint of accountable care organizations (ACO) continues to change. At the start of 2018, there are approximately 1,000 ACOs covering 32.7 million consumers—approximately 11% of the U.S. insured population (294.6 million)—under 1,477 different contracts (see After A Slow 2017, ACOs Grow & Expand Their Contracts In 2018).

The coverage varies by payer. According to Leavitt Partners, about half of the 32.7 million consumers are enrolled in commercial ACOs—roughly 11% of the 186 million people enrolled in commercial insurance. As of 2018, there are eleven states with Medicaid ACO models enrolling . . .