Minnesota’s Medicaid program is a leader in piloting innovative health care payment and delivery reforms. New in 2013, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have entered into shared savings and risk agreements with Medicaid. State officials believe that ACOs will give providers greater incentives to promote population health and integrate care than do traditional managed care organizations. Minnesota has sought to align the goals, measures, and incentives for this program with other state initiatives and hopes to do so with Medicare and commercial insurers in the future. In addition, Minnesota has just been awarded a State Innovation Models Initiative grant that will make the accountable health care model available to all citizens. This case study is one of three in a series on innovations being undertaken by states to improve quality and efficiency in their Medicaid programs.
Note: These case studies were based on publicly available information and self-reported data provided by the case study institutions. The Commonwealth Fund is not an accreditor of health care organizations or systems, and the inclusion of an institution in the Fund's case study series is not an endorsement by the Fund for receipt of health care from the institution.