Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Strategy

This assignment examines the strategic planning of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) within the healthcare industry. It focuses on the Accountable Care Coalition of Caldwell County, LLC, recognized by CMS for its participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The assignment highlights initiatives undertaken by this ACO to enhance consumerism through cost reduction, quality improvement, and innovative approaches like telemedicine. It explores how ACOs respond to growing consumerism trends with a consumer-centric approach, prioritizing patient needs and satisfaction.

Running head: STRATEGIC PLANNING HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION
Strategic Planning HealthCare Administration
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1STRATEGIC PLANNING HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION
Accountable Care Coalition of Caldwell County, LLC, is recently recognized by Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the participation in the Medicare Shared Savings
Program beginning in April 1, 2012. Accountable Care Coalition of Caldwell County, LLC is
intended to improve the coordination and quality of care for the Medicare patients for the
reduction of Medicare expenditures growth. The selected ACO in North Carolina is working
closely after being recognized by CMS to help patients in navigation of healthcare system and
encourages more collaborative healthcare and savings. The recognized ACO has served 375,000
patients in 27 Shared Savings Program in around 18 states in United States. CMS has recognized
that the ACO Company is on right track in reaching its goal in expanding patient access to
healthcare services, improvement of care coordination and achievement of improvements in
affordability, quality and patient satisfaction. Medicare offers value-based reimbursement and
administration of alternative payment models (APMs) for the healthcare providers in ACOs
based on positive medical outcomes (Freeman, 2017).
The two main initiatives taken by this selected ACO towards increasing consumerism are
reduction of costs and improvement of quality that help to enhance patient experience. The
organization is trying to respond to the growing consumerism trend with consumer-centric
approach where the consumer is first, being the top priority and focus on customer’s best
interests. The immediate access to care is the innovative approach like telemedicine for
immediate physician and paramedics for potentially risked patients are some of the innovative
approaches for enhancing and promoting best interests of patients in healthcare services (Filer,
2016).

2STRATEGIC PLANNING HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION
References
Filer, J. J. (2016). Price shopping and the future of consumerism: since the advent of the
Affordable Care Act (ACA), which gave employers an insurance market exit strategy in
the form of public exchanges, industry analysts have been predicting the demise of
employer-sponsored health insurance. Healthcare Financial Management, 70(4), 26-27.
Freeman, K. (2017). Accountable Care Gaining Momentum in North Carolina | North Carolina
Medical Society. Ncmedsoc.org. Retrieved 31 October 2017, from
http://www.ncmedsoc.org/accountable-care-gaining-momentum-in-north-carolina/