Are ACOs Really About Quality?
When the subject of accountable care organizations first comes to mind, the common context is that of the ACO as a Medicare payment mechanism introduced as an element of Obamacare. However, to fully understand the economics of an ACO, you need to appreciate the fact that the model is not designed to be constrained to the Medicare arena. And, in fact, the economics of the creation of a functional ACO dictate that it must focus on a larger market. Read more
CMS proposes one-year delay for ICD-10
Today the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a rule that proposes to delay ICD-10 one year from Oct. 2013 to Oct. 2014.
The rule also includes a proposal to implement a national health plan identifier, required under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA). This is a great step to help standize the health plans so that they can be uniquily identified, just like providers have been for years now.
