Member Briefings, prepared by members of Practice Groups, are detailed analyses of a particular new development in the law. They are valuable desktop references for practitioners seeking an in-depth understanding of new developments and their implications.
As you likely already know, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued proposed regulations earlier this year which created the Medicare Shared Savings Program through the use of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). Based on recent public comments from numerous stakeholders concerning the ACO proposed rule, it appears that there will be a period of reassessment by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and potential changes in the regulations before they are finalized. In light of these events, the ACO Task Force wants to continue to keep AHLA members informed of the relevant issues in an efficient and timely manner.
Whether the Shared Savings aspects of the regulations are substantially and successfully revised or not, and whether a health system or physician group wishes to participate in that aspect of the program, the ACO Task Force believes that continued reporting and development on the various aspects of health system integration will be of value to AHLA members. To that end, the Task Force is producing a serial publication for its members, which will be issued in individual Member Briefings that provide insights on all sections of the proposed rule and also other ACO topic areas. By publishing the content in this way, the Task Force will be able to share valuable content with you as quickly as it is created and develop a database of information in the event that the proposed rule becomes final.
The chapters will be posted on this page—the Member Briefings section of the ACO Task Force website. This hub of ACO information will become a permanent resource—useful to ACO Task Force members using the website and accessible going forward in the event that the proposed rule becomes final.