NRHA Submits Comments to CMS on ACO Proposed Regulation
On Friday, the National Rural Health Association submitted its comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed final rule relating to "Accountable Care Organizations" and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Mandated by the Affordable Care Act, ACOs are intended to produce significant savings for the Medicare program. An ACO is an integrated organization that endeavors to produce higher quality care through coordination and communication while reducing costs through the elimination of redundant procedures. Private market ACOs have been around for 50-60 years and include big names such as Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland Clinic. While the ACO concept has garnered significant support, many organizations, associations, and hospitals have been wary of the structure proposed in the current regulation. NRHA's comment can be seen here.