ACOs: Here, There, Everywhere? Or Are We Quibbling at the Edges?

By Vince Kuraitis, JD, MBA A  recent analysis of the ACO market by Oliver Wyman market suggests we’re well on our way toward being “there”. My personal take on this report: Provocative, fresh, thoughtful, well reasoned, expansive — albeit a bit of a stretch. However, I suspect many others will describe it as: Speculative, harebrained, unsupported, overly …

ACOs, Oncology and the Future of Better Cancer Care

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH As originally posted at JustOncology. The best business model for oncology care is not yet obvious to me. But it is crystal clear that innovative new models are being hatched before our eyes.. via Oncology Times Since CMS (via HHS) issued the final rule addressing ACO provisions and specifically ‘excluded’ oncologists …

From “Unicorns to Multicorns” ACOs Morphing Below Radar

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH This is a continuing long tail series following the content rich and strategy insight generous experiences reported by the ‘risk savvy braintrust’ at the 3rd National ACO Congress aka the ‘walking the talk of innovation’ crowd. From sound-bytes to sensibilities? Via UC Berkeley Professor Steven Shortell, Ph.D., MPH, Professor, School …

ACOs, ‘HMO lite’ or ‘DNA of the Transformation’?

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH I am regularly amused by some in the popular press as well as guerrilla social media theater (myself included in that bucket) by the continued doubt if not outright dismissal of ACOs as the central spine if not fulfillment DNA of ‘the new, new thing/imperative’, i.e., to manifest the ‘triple aim’ as the sustainable …

‘ObamaCare’ Lives: Ladies and Gentlemen Start Your ACO and HIE Engines

By David Harlow, Esq. Much has been written and said about the effect of the election on the implementation of federal health reform initiatives. The commentariat, including the blogerati and twitterati wings, have focused on the budget battles of the future to come from Capitol Hill, the flurry of regulations to come from HHS, and …

Smart Money, ACOs and Risk Savvy Medical Managers

By Gregg A. Masters, MPH I’ve been pondering the ‘where is the ACO smart money’ question for a while as in its answer lies greater clarity than the current high ‘noise to signal’ ratio experienced by many. Since we witness a range of opinion on whether the healthcare industry can self correct via proactive conscious …

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 …

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 …