New Year, new ACOs. 100 New ACOs as of January 1, 2016

New Year, new ACOs. 100 New ACOs as of January 1, 2016
It has been reported that as of January 1, 2016, the Medicare Shared Savings Program welcomed 100 new ACOs. It is estimated that approximately 15,000 more physicians will be participating with Accountable Care Organizations. This represents 434 ACOs, helping service more than 7.7 million beneficiaries. According to the Chief Medical Officer for The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Patrick Conway, “Accountable Care Organizations are improving quality of care and spending dollars more wisely. These new initiatives place patients at the center of a coordinated care delivery system and give providers the tools to achieve better outcomes,”
It was also reported that 39 ACOs have also agreed to participate in (AIM), the ACO Investment Model. This new model currently has 41 participants and will help encourage new ACOs to form in rural and underserved area, while advocating to existing current Shared Savings Program ACOs to transition into the performance-based risk model.