The ACA is a go with ACOs

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishes the Medicare Shared Savings Program for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released the 'Notice of Proposed Rule Making' on ACOs. The creation of ACOs is one of the first delivery-reform initiatives that will be implemented under the ACA, and similar to the Oregon Health Authority's 'Triple Aim', ACOs also have a three-part aim: better care for individuals, better health for populations, and slower growth in costs through improvements in care. (view the HHS NPRM on ACOs here) I don't know what I heard mentioned more by attendees in the hallways of HIMSS11, Meaningful Use or Accountable Care Organizations...but ACOs now seem to be leading in the forefront of healthcare reform conversations as the first delivery-reform initiative (which Meaningful Use of EHR & HIE is meant to complement) that finally puts the patient in the center. Hospitals, Payers, and Providers seem to both agree and disagree on ACOs...what do our HIMSS Oregon Chapter members think? Will ACOs finally bring cohesion to our fragmented payment & care delivery system, and provide the coordination of care that not just Medicare beneficiaries but all patients need? I'm hopeful...