{mosads}Nine of the 10 health systems involved in the demonstration signed a letter in May saying they might not participate in the ACO program unless the Medicare agency makes major changes to its initial proposal.
The clinics said they all supported the concept of integrated, coordinated care, but that, “as currently proposed, ACOs have a greater potential for incurring losses … than for generating savings.”
Both ACOs and the five-year demonstration project are designed so that participating organizations can share in the savings they generate for Medicare.
Medicare has paid roughly $110 million to seven of the 10 participants in the five-year demonstration, according to a release. Four groups participating in the two-year extension will receive payments of roughly $30 million, out of a total Medicare savings of $36 million.