Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve. Coordinated care helps ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, with the goal of avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO succeeds in both delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program.
Video: Accountable Care Organizations provide coordinated care and chronic disease management while lowering costs. In this video clip, learn more about the Pioneer ACO Model and hear directly from the health care professionals making this care possible.
ACO Programs
Medicare offers several ACO programs, including:
- Medicare Shared Savings Program (cms.gov) - For fee-for-service beneficiaries
- Advance Payment Model - For certain eligible providers already in or interested in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
- Pioneer ACO Model - Health care organizations and providers already experienced in coordinating care for patients across care settings
General information on ACOs can also be found at cms.gov/aco and this HealthCare.gov ACO Fact Sheet.