Mass. Doctors' Group To Be Part Of ACO Model
Atrius Health, the largest independent nonprofit physicians' group in Massachusetts, has been selected to participate in a government-sponsored accountable care organization (ACO) model for Medicare patients, according to a statement from Atrius.
Atrius has a number of medical group affiliates around the state, including Reliant Medical Group of Worcester, Southboro Medical Group in Southborough, and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, which has offices in the MetroWest/495 region. However, Reliant will not be part of the program because it became an Atrius affiliate after it applied to participate, an Atrius spokeswoman said.
The program, called the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization model, is sponsored by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center. It's designed to encourage the development of ACOs, which are groups of doctors and other health care providers who work together to provide high-quality care for their patients. Under the Pioneer program, CMS will provide incentives for participating health care providers who form organizations to coordinate patient care.
The ACO model provides financial incentives to health care providers who reduce overall costs while improving patients' health. More providers are at least looking at the ACO model as an alternative to the traditional "fee for service" model that has been partly to blame for high increases in health care costs in recent years.
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