News: Fewer than one-third of ACOs qualify for Medicare bonuses

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) generated $466 million in savings, according to CMS.

While the quality improvement associated with their efforts may seem impressive and possibly reflective of clinical documentation improvement practices, there are still too many defects in the program to achieve long-term stability and success, according to a press release by the National Association of ACOs. The results are not as strong as they should be, said Clif Gaus, CEO of the National Association of ACOs in the release.

In the announcement, Gaus called for CMS and Congress to take swift and decisive action to solidify the foundation of the ACO program, including addressing the significant investments and risk ACOs take.

“The results are not as strong as we… had hoped for, but overall we are pleased to see the results show a positive trend for the program,” said Gaus in the release. “Considering ACOs are only a few years old, they have accomplished a lot to reduce cost and improve quality. These ACOs are on the front line of redesigning the healthcare industry, and this is a moment to celebrate them and their hard work.”