After Court ruling, election, ACO adoption could be on 'upswing,' consultant says

Although just four hospital systems in Ohio are among 150 nationwide that are forming accountable care organizations as outlined in the Affordable Care Act, some experts predict more hospitals across the country will soon join the initiatives (Source: "Obamacare ACOs not yet taking off in Central Ohio," (Columbus) Business First, Nov. 26, 2012)

Ohio's four ACA accountable care organizations are led by University Hospitals in Cleveland, ProMedica in Toledo, Cincinnati-based Mercy Health and Akron-based Summa Health System.

"It's on the upswing," Robert Williams, national medical director at Virginia-based Deloitte Life Sciences-Healthcare Consulting, told health news website FierceHealthcare in an interview.

"After the Supreme Court decision and after the election, it's likely to increase even more," Williams said about the ACO movement. "Some people were holding off on some decision-making. Even if they weren't moving forward to apply, they were thinking about what 'onramps' they might be taking for accountable care."

In May 2011, HPIO released "Understanding the Medicare ACO and Its Potential Impact on Ohio and the Nation: Considerations of CMS Draft Rules," (pdf, 24 pages) A policy brief (and accompanying primer) on ACOs, including a summary of the Medicare Shared Savings Program Proposed Rules, highlights of key considerations and concerns, and reactions from several Ohio-based health systems that were already implementing some form of accountable care.