Turns out I was on Sound Medicine this weekend talking about ACO’s and didn’t know it. If you didn’t either, here you go:
Here’s an acronym that you’re probably going to hear a lot about in the next few years: ACO.
It stands for accountable care organization, and it’s something like a “medical home:” a shift away from medical care that’s fragmented between specialties, toward a more coordinated system where all of your care, medical records, and preventive services are provided under one umbrella.
Today, IU health policy analyst Aaron Carroll defines the trend and lays out the pros and cons of accountable care. Although the idea makes some sense, Dr. Carroll says that the current ground rules for ACO’s don’t provide incentives for medical professionals to actually save money.
Audio after the jump.
