Dive Brief:
- A new report by Premier Inc. finds that the number of ACOs operating in the US should climb from 500 to write 1000 by the end of 2014.
- According to Premier research the number providers participating ACOs has almost quadrupled since 2012, and three out of four hospitals responding to Premier's survey said they have plans for ACOs next year.
- Researchers found that hospitals are investing in infrastructure to better manage population health, including advanced IT, lifestyle and wellness coaching, ritual care and patient centered medical homes, FierceHealthcare notes.
Dive Insight:
Call me a cynic, but I don't think a stampede into the ACO world is a good idea. While the goals of ACOs are laudable, that doesn't mean that every health system is well prepared to take on the operational and financial challenges involved in coming together with ACO partners. I predict that only some of the ACOs lunch in 2014 will gain any kind of traction, particularly given the massive distractions they face in meeting the ICD-10 deadline and stepping up their EMR efforts to meet Meaningful Use Stage 2. On the other hand, ACOs have to start somewhere, so I suppose next year is as good as any time to begin exploring your options.