Influential groups like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, often cited by President Obama as cost-effective models of high quality medical care, are only now warming to the administration’s “accountable care organization” concept for the Medicare program. Known as ACOs, these ventures would use Medicare to push high quality, less expensive care rather than the payment system today that has incentives for potentially excessive care by paying for each procedure that isn’t always better. ACOs are intended to have doctors and hospitals take responsibility for managing the care of Medicare beneficiaries, and would be financially rewarded for improving care and saving dollars.

NY Times, Bruce Japsen, 11/7/11

Tags: Health Policy