With the March 2010 passage of the ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the ‘follow the money’ floodgates are once again opening for hospitals, physicians, integrated delivery systems, health plans, and consultants. This time, instead of migrating ‘HMO lite’ (neither staff nor group model) platforms into mainstream medicine via IPAs, or MeSH model JV’s, we’re now talking about their ‘new and improved’ successors broadly cast as ‘Accountable Care Organizations aka ‘ACOs’.
Some call it ‘managed care 2.0’, while the more cynical among us envision it as the full employment act for consultants, and health care lawyers, shopping a not ready for prime time, if not fundamentally flawed ‘business model’.
Given the high level of interest in these ostensible quality promoting, while cost restraining entities, the staggered implementation timeline in general, the ACO January 1, 2012 fuse in particular, and the broad brush framework intentionally reflected in PPACA, we thought it a good idea to keep a pulse on the ramp up to the highly anticipated ‘go live’ date.
acowatch.me 
I posted a few times on this subject. It’s the “new normal.” But I’m not sure how it’s going to work out for all parties, most importantly providers and patients. I think, so far, that the insurers and hospitals may make out the best. But I’ll try to remain optimistic!
http://drpauldorio.com/blog/2010/9/28/is-the-accountable-care-organization-aco-a-shell-game.html
Interesting angle for a site, Gregg. I’m with Paul in that I want to learn a little more. Please continue to tailor some of your content to the provider. Will follow.