By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    magnesium water can be good for your health but you can't have too much
    Is Drinking Magnesium Water Good for Your Health?
    October 17, 2023
    common misconseptions about brain injuries
    4 Common Myths and Misunderstandings About Brain Injuries
    February 5, 2023
    get a career in medical device sales
    What Are the Benefits of Attending Medical Sales College?
    April 10, 2023
    Latest News
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Elective Coronary Stenting: A Case in Context
    August 3, 2011
    PSA screening: Does It or Doesn’t It?
    March 16, 2012
    Rick Perry Needs To Make Up His Mind
    September 19, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Meaningful Use Criteria and the ACO
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Meaningful Use Criteria and the ACO
Health Reform

Meaningful Use Criteria and the ACO

HITECH Answers
HITECH Answers
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE


Sarianne Gruber MPH, MS

SG Healthcare Analytics LLC

Accountable Care Organizations or more commonly called ACOs plan to be the new Medicare business models for practicing medicine. What exactly is an ACO and how does it plan to measure efficiencies or inefficiencies in delivering healthcare? The premise of an ACO is to encourage healthcare providers to think of themselves as a group sharing patient care as well as financial incentives. The Medicare Gain Sharing Program, part of the new healthcare reform law, makes available the option for healthcare providers to form an ACO. There are several different options for how an ACO can organized but all must include at least primary and specialty care physicians and at least one hospital. The ACO must serve at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries and agree to participate in the Shared Saving Program for a minimum of three years. Financially, its providers share in any cost savings that arise from quality improvements and enhanced efficiency. The incentive plan for an ACO is simple. If the ACO is able to reduce care costs less than Medicare’s current system, then the ACO will receive a share of the savings as a bonus payment. Conversely, the plan also includes a financial penalty if an ACO misses its goal and incurs costs above the status quo.

Managing costs is one part of the ACO’s objective; the second is providing outcome evidence on the quality of healthcare provided. The ACO will be held accountable for showing improved performance on a series of 65 clinical measures and will be required to report on these quality measures for the three year agreement period. The ACO performance measures are divided in five areas of concentration: (1) patient/caregiver experience, (2) care coordination, (3) patient safety, (4) preventive health and (5) at-risk population/frail elderly health. Reviewing the list of ACO measures, 26 of the 65 requirements are also “Meaningful Use Criteria” captured with a certified EHR system. The table below lists the EHR Clinical Quality variables that can be used as a measurement source for ACO performance requirements.

The self-reported data submission process will operate through a Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) web-based data collection tool, which will allow ACOs to submit clinical information from EHRs, registries and administrative data sources. The interrelationship between Meaningful Use and ACO measures brings a strong alignment between the EHR incentive program and the Shared Savings Program such that the proposed ruling will require an ACO to demonstrate that 50% of its primary care physicians are meaningful EHR users as defined by the HITECH Act. And from the “patient centeredness” perspective, the importance having the flow of patient information is critical. This can only be achieved through the exchange of electronic health information and providers who are participating in the EHR incentive program and who are developing care processes consistent with Meaningful Use.

More Read

Obamacare 411
Will It Be About Patients This Time?
Deploying Health IT and Patient-Centered Process Improvement for Innovation
Path Dependency in Health Reform: The Case of Medicare
Choosing a Provider, Ethics, and Playing Darts Blindfolded

 

 

TAGGED:ACOsmeaningful use
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025
a woman giving a key
How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
Health
July 16, 2025
a woman with kinesio tapes on her back arm
How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

Healthcare Innovation: Moving from Stewardship to Leadership

September 9, 2012

Does Papa John’s Have a Legitimate Gripe About the Affordable Care Act?

November 21, 2012

85 Year Old Surgeon Gets 3 Years Probation in Death of Patient Under Going Cosmetic Surgery

February 16, 2011

347 Pages of Regulations; 811 References to Mandates

July 12, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?