The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today unveiled the first round of participants in its Next Generation accountable care organization model, which is designed for ACOs with greater experience in coordinating care.
Included in the list of participants are Henry Ford Physician Accountable Care Organization, Detroit; Iowa Health Accountable Care Organization, West Des Moines, Iowa; and ThedaCare ACO, Appleton, Wis.
CMS aims to test whether stronger financial incentives than those found in existing Medicare ACO models, coupled with tools for better patient engagement and care management, can improve outcomes and lower spending for fee-for-service beneficiaries. The Next Generation model builds on experience from the Pioneer ACO Model and the Medicare Shared Savings Program in that regard.
“These new initiatives place patients at the center of a coordinated care delivery system and give providers the tools to achieve better outcomes,” Patrick Conway, deputy administrator for innovation and quality and chief medical officer for CMS, said in a Health & Human Services news release.
ACOs interested in participating still can, with round two letters of intent due May 1 and the full application due June 1, according to CMS.
