Promoting Accountable Care in Medicaid
<p>Medicare created the Shared Savings Program to spur the development of accountable care organizations, or ACOs, for its fee-for-service beneficiaries. But a new <a href="/publications/reports/2012/nov/high-performance-health-care-vulnerable-populations-policy-framework">Commonwealth Fund report</a> argues that Medicaid enrollees could also benefit from payment and delivery system reforms aligned with the Medicare program, and that states could reap considerable savings in the process. </p><p>Health policy experts Deborah Bachrach, William Bernstein, and Anne Karl say that Medicaid has a significant role to play in driving greater accountability and improved performance across the health system and across payers. With the Affordable Care Act's expansion of Medicaid eligibility, the program could cover up to a quarter of Americans by 2019 and account for as much as 20 percent of national health care spending—making it vitally important to the success of any care delivery reform initiative. </p>
<p>In their report, the authors provide states with a policy framework for establishing Medicaid ACOs based on the Medicare Shared Savings approach, one that accommodates the unique characteristics of Medicaid populations, the needs of Medicaid providers, and a managed care environment. </p>
<p>Read more on <a href="/publications/reports/2012/nov/high-performance-health-care-vulnerable-populations-policy-framework">commonwealthfund.org</a>. </p>