Pushing accountable care organizations (ACOs) to take on risk faster will likely result in ACOs that aren’t ready just dropping out of the program and could impact participation in value-based care, said Allison Brennan, MPP, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Association of ACOs.
Pushing accountable care organizations (ACOs) to take on risk faster will likely result in ACOs that aren’t ready just dropping out of the program and could impact participation in value-based care, said Allison Brennan, MPP, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Association of ACOs.
Transcript
How do you think CMS pushing ACOs to take on more risk faster with the proposed Pathways to Success will impact participation?
We have some significant concerns about this approach. So, at the end of the day, this is a voluntary program. And if you’re option is take on risk that you’re not ready to assume or drop out of the program, I think we’re going to see ACOs drop out of the program.
And that’s very concerning for us. We’re very supportive of preparing ACOs to take on risk and encouraging ACOs to do so. Where we have concerns is the way in which it’s being done, the time frame in which it’s being done, and more of a stick approach rather than a carrot approach, where we’re making these 2-sided models so much more attractive that people feel that they want to be a part of them.
I think it’s really important to note that the experience ACOs gain in a 1-sided model is what allows them to go through their initial learning curve to prepare to take on risk, and then to, hopefully, show even greater results over time. So, if we’re discouraging new ACOs from joining the program and getting on that learning curve, I think we’re discouraging them from getting on the continuum of value-based care, which is moving generally in the direction of risk.
Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
Listen
In this interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®, Katie Queen, MD, addresses the complexity of obesity as a medical condition, pivoting to virtual care while ensuring that patients who lived in a rural location continued to receive adequate care, and the importance of integrating awareness of obesity and chronic disease prevention into local food culture.
Read More
Nathan Walcker Discusses Value-Based Oncology Care Initiatives at FCS
September 8th 2023Nathan Walcker, CEO at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), highlights some of the recent partnerships and initiatives at FCS to improve community-based oncology care from a value-based perspective.
Listen
Recent T1D Research Contradicts Common Assumptions About Patients
November 15th 2023Michael Fang, PhD, researcher and assistant professor in the division of Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University, discussed recent findings in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) space that may alter the way providers address diabetes diagnoses.
Read More