Study Finds Heavy Turnover Among Physicians In Medicare ACOs
Medicare hopes to use the accountable care organization to coordinate care so that quality is improved and costs lowered. But the research suggests that the design of the ACO may need to pay special attention to physicians.
Modern Healthcare:
Inspecting The Role Of The Physician In ACOs
As delivery system reform experts puzzle over what makes accountable care organizations successful, they might want to pay more attention to the physicians in those organizations, suggests a study published Monday in Health Affairs. The study found significant physician churn from year to year, as well as an uneven distribution of patients among physicians in one Medicare Pioneer ACO. The results raised questions about the structure of ACOs—a payment model touted by many and supported by the CMS—and their ability to achieve the goals of lowering costs while improving quality. (Whitman, 4/4)
