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How do ACOs differ from HMOs? Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are insurance programs that provide health care to a defined population for a fixed price. ... ACO patients can be seen by any physician of their choice. Patient participation in ACOs is strictly voluntary, there are no enrollment or lock in provisions.

An accountable care organization (ACO) is a network of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers and suppliers that coordinate efficient, high-quality lower-cost patient care while sharing financial and medical responsibilities.

ACOs are groups of doctors, practices, hospitals and (sometimes) insurance companies that join together to provide higher-quality patient care, improve care coordination and make more cost-efficient health care decisions. The ACO must meet certain benchmarks for keeping patients healthy and out of the hospital.

A network of providers that coordinate health care. The accountable care organization, also known as an ACO, is a new health care delivery model being tested in Colorado and across the nation.

Why are ACOs Important? The core mission of an ACO is to provide better care for Medicare patients, thus saving money for both the providers and patients, while helping to control waste in the Medicare system.

An ACO is a network of doctors and hospitals that shares financial and medical responsibility for providing coordinated care to patients in hopes of limiting unnecessary spending. ... In Obamacare, each ACO has to manage the health care needs of a minimum of 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries for at least three years.

ACOs can include hospitals, specialists, post-acute providers and even private companies like Walgreens. The only must-have element is primary care physicians, who serve as the linchpin of the program.

At the base of the ACO payment structure are incentive payments. Providers in the ACO receive fee-for-service payments throughout the performance period. At the end of the period, payers adjust the payments based on the ACO's quality performance on specified metrics.

An accountable care organization (ACO) is an association of hospitals, healthcare providers and insurers in which all parties voluntarily assume financial and medical responsibility for Medicare patients.

An accountable care organization (ACO) is an association of hospitals, healthcare providers and insurers in which all parties voluntarily assume financial and medical responsibility for Medicare patients.