Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
As more rural Americans gain access to health coverage through Medicaid and the commercial markets, rural hospitals will experience greater patient demand that may strain already limited staff and capital resources.
On March 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the much-anticipated proposed regulation for the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which encourages the voluntary formation of accountable care organizations (ACOs).
The report focuses on the overall concept of ACOs. And also provides special focus on the specifics of the ACO model put forward in the health reform legislation. It is one of several demonstration programs under the administration of the CMS.