If the ACO Idea Fails, What’s Next?

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH In the sea of collective opinion via both pundit and ‘boots on the ground do’ers’ reported in trade group, popular and growing insights proffered via social media, one of the narratives centers on can ACOs really make a difference? In other words, is meaningful reform of the failing volume driven …

3rd National ACO Congress Video Mashup

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH For a taste of the proceedings, check out the video mashup below: Overview of the ACO Congress Since the Second National Accountable Care Organization Congress in November 2011, the ACO trend has demonstrated great momentum. As of June 2012, there are more than 200 ACOs identified in the U.S., a …

Bricks and Sticks or Vision and Values? Building the ACO

By Jim Frederick, Senior Editor/Pharmacy, Drug Store News New, holistic models for integrated, patient-centered care are emerging from the fog of health reform almost as fast as you can say “accountable care organization.” But pharmacy and retail clinic operators aren’t waiting for ACOs to fully ripen; they’re forging new alliances with hospital-based health systems and …

Transformational Potential of Medicare ACOs – Part 1

Dr. David Ballard, Chief Quality Officer and Senior Vice President at the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas, TX and Executive Director of its Institute for Health Care Research and Improvement, introduces a series of articles appearing in the August 2012 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings where he shares a 3-part interview with 3 leading …

Yes We Can? No, He [POTUS] Didn’t. Not Tonight.

Note: An Opinion Piece By Gregg A. Masters, MPH If you were not dialed into the first presidential debate tonight, you missed a rather tortured, poorly moderated, POTUS failed series of opportunities to credibly discredit his health reform ‘etch-a-sketch’ opponent. In the post debate punditry, and fact checking, this one is likely to ascend to …

William J. DeMarco on Provider Contracting, ACOs, Value Based Purchasing, and Practice Acquisition

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Courtesy of Clive Riddle and MCOL aka @M_C_O_L, author, consultant and long term managed care industry verteran reflects on the ACO environment, unbundles and expounds on the range of entrants in the ACO space and reports on the status of the playing field as of the May 2012 data point. …

ACOs in the ‘Good Ole US of A’

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH David Blumenthal, M.D., MPP, Former National Coordinator (2009-2011) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and seasoned health policy wonk opines on ACOs. Further details and balance of Dr. Blumenthal’s credentials below: In this video, Dr David Blumenthal, Samuel O. Thier Professor of Medicine and Professor of Health …

I’m Absolutely Bullish on the Future of Healthcare!

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH In the walk and perhaps some instances trot towards forming and launching an ACO you have prominent voices on both sides of the debate. The bearish camp is perhaps best represented by the likes Jeff Goldsmith in ‘Can Accountable-Care Organizations Improve Health Care While Reducing Costs?’ or Virgina Herzlinger in …

Medicare Shared Savings Program & Advance Payment Model Application Process

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Per recent CMS Provider Call: From a CMS ‘National Provider Call’ on July 31, 2012, this is a walk through of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Advance Payment Model Application Process. The review includes both an overview, and update specific to the two distinct programs. A Q&A session follows …

ACO Explosion

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH On ‘This Week in Accountable Care‘, Wednesday, September 5th, 2012 at noon Pacific and 3PM Eastern, my special guest is industry veteran William J. DeMarco, President and CEO of Pendulum Health. Active since the roll-out of the HMO Act, and instrumental in the development of marquee names and properties in the managed …