Both the House and Senate bills include provisions to encourage the creation of accountable care organizations, or ACOs, as a way to test a new payment system for physicians. The ACO project, which would be limited to Medicare, is similar to the model of building contractors: If all the doctors who take care of you - your primary care physician, any specialists and your hospital - worked together and their financial fates were somehow connected, almost like business partners, you'd get better care and it wouldn't cost as much. These affiliated provider groups could earn bonuses if they met or exceeded certain quality and cost targets for their Medicare patients.
Congress is not proposing that all physicians accept these global payments. In fact, the accountable care organization program included in the health care overhaul bills is quite flexible. But lawmakers and health system reformers, though, are optimistic there are enough incentives in the bills for physicians to at least give it a try.
Read the full article on NPR, or click here:http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122217323
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