Medicaid agencies from seven states have signed on to an accountable care organization collaborative effort via the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) that will help states tailor ACOs based on the unique qualities of their health systems.
Efforts are already underway across the country to develop ACOs to serve the senior population and via various programs by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which earlier this year unveiled 27 health systems that will participate in one of its ACO efforts, the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
The CHCS program, called "Advancing Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: A Learning Collaborative" is supported by The Commonwealth Fund, with additional financial support provided by Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute, a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.
"ACOs have great potential to improve care for vulnerable populations at the ground level and link payment with care improvements," said Pamela Riley, MD, senior program officer at The Commonwealth Fund in a press release. "We look forward to contributing to, and learning from, the progress of these state innovators in exploring ACOs as an effective mechanism to drive high-value, high-quality care in Medicaid."
The seven states participating in the 14-month program are Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. CHCS will provide assistance to the states to help them develop ACO tailored to the specific needs of the state and its health systems.
Technical assistance will focus on four areas:
- Designing the essential building blocks for an ACO program;
- Building a financing, data-sharing, and measurement approach;
- Obtaining federal approval; and
- Implementing the ACO program.
Lessons learned in the participating states will be shared with other states looking to launch their own ACO initiatives.
"We have been intrigued about the potential for safety net ACOs to increase care coordination and curb spending for some of the nation's highest-risk, highest-cost patients," said Stephen A. Somers, CHCS president in a prepared statement. "The participating states deserve to be recognized for pioneering new care delivery models in their communities to propel this emerging field."
For more information on the program and to for additional resources on ACOs, contact CHCS at www.chcs.org