Survey : Hospital execs remain unclear on ACO planning

A survey of hospital executives by a national management consulting firm has found that although 92 percent reported that their hospital is planning an accountable care organization, 45 percent said they did not commit any money from operating budgets to the planning, and 28 percent were unsure how much had been given to the process (Source: “ACOs face steep funding shortfall, learning curve,” America Medical Association News, Oct. 11, 2011).

The Accountable Care Organization Readiness Study (pdf, 22 pages) was released last month by the Massachusetts-based Beacon Partners and included a survey of about 200 executives at hospitals, academic medical centers, ambulatory clinics and physician practices during the summer. "Clearly, there is still a lot of confusion and uncertainty surrounding ACOs, but most health care organizations understand that they need to move forward with an ACO strategy," said Kevin Burchill, director of Beacon.

To learn more about the concept of accountable care, the proposed Medicare Shared Savings Program federal rules, and the experience of several Ohio-based health systems that are already implementing some form of accountable care, please view HPIO’s policy brief “Understanding the Medicare ACO and Its Potential Impact on Ohio and the Nation: Considerations of CMS Draft Rules.” (pdf, 24 pages).