Monitoring the birth of an industry
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH There are those trying to figure out how to best ‘build out’ if not perfect (as in the Pioneer class) an ACO, while an even larger pool ‘leaning’ in the direction of playing, are focused on the mechanics of the application process. As with the ‘interface model’ that’s kept the …
Continue reading “CMS Call: Tips on Submitting Application for Medicare MSSP ACO”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Most of us watching and trying to interpret the ACO tea leaves are both challenged yet determined to assimilate a coherent picture of what’s happening at the ‘industry zeitgeist’ level. As noted previously, once you’ve seen one ACO, you seen one ACO. Since there is ample confusion from the differences …
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH I just finished chatting with the instigator of the Florida Association of ACOs (FLAACOS). Nicole Bradberry, CEO. Nicole’s story in part tracks back to the first meeting of the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS), where she got the idea to build a state level resource for identify and share best practices, drive …
Continue reading “Meet the Florida Association of ACOs (FLAACOS)”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH Thinking about submitting for participation in the ‘statutory’ Medicare Shared Savings (MSSP) vs. Pioneer, or Advanced payment model ACO programs? While there is certain overlap and confusion, stay tuned for CMS to clarify both in nuance terms and well as key operational indicia. By and large my understanding is this …
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH I am passionate and write a fair amount about health reform, innovation in business models and the pursuit of a ‘sustainable healthcare ecosystem’ as I’ve been intimately involved in serial efforts to restrain the appetite of a change resistant industry that Shannon Brownlee aptly frames in Escape Fire the hard …
Continue reading “Some Context and Perspective on Standing Up the ACO”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH At the end of the [business model and strategic positioning] day, it’s all about the intangible but mission critical ‘C’ word, i.e., culture, and whether two traditionally oppositional styles (physician v. hospital) can mash-up and ‘meaningfully integrate’ (clinically, legally & workflow wise) where previous attempts during the 80s and 90s …
Continue reading “Are Institutionally Led ACOs ‘DOA’? I Say Heck Yah!”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH On the broadcast I chat with Charles Saunders MD, CEO of Emerging Businesses at Aetna. Dr. Saunder’s seat in the house of healthcare innovation is a unique perch and his tenure in the business brings both depth and breadth to fundamental questions we face as a collective industry. A fountain …
Continue reading “This Week in Accountable Care with Aetna Strategist Charles Saunders MD”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH We’re only 8 days out from the HiMSS bash in the ‘big easy’ aka ‘NOLA’. We’ve been so engaged in planning the Health Innovation Broadcast Consortium aka @HIBCtv it’s been a challenge to stay on top and share the more worthwhile developments in the ACO space. Perhaps of most immediate interest …
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH In the realm of stuff we need to do and sometimes clouded by either ad copy or less than straightforward guru guidance cutting through the clutter can sometimes be confused by the words ‘may’, ‘should’ or other less obligatory statements. For instance: M/U/S/T | a verb |to: be commanded or …
Continue reading “‘The ACO Must…’ Towards an Operational Definition of ‘Patient Engagement’”
By Gregg A. Masters, MPH I intended to post updates from Aetna and Cigna next in this series, yet today I received a tweet by Vince Kuraitis, aka @VinceKuraitis, calling attention to Universal American a managed care player I’ve not spent much time on. Yet they present a rather interesting profile and operating footprint some …
Continue reading “Universal American: A ‘Healthy Collaboration?’”
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