Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

As of July 1, 89 new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have started serving 1.2 million people. In a press release issued by Health and Human Services (HHS), Secretary Kathleen Sebelius applauded "every one of these doctors, hospitals, health centers and others for working together to ensure millions of people with Medicare get better, more patient-centered, coordinated care.""Better coordinated care is good for patients and it saves money," she said.Participation in an ACO is purely voluntary for providers. The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), and ACO initiatives are made possible by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the July 9 press release points out. It also estimated that in four years the Federal savings from this initiative could be as much as $940 million."This new group of ACOs adds to a solid foundation. The Medicare ACO program opened for business in January and, already, more than 2.4 million beneficiaries are receiving care [...]