Becker's Hospital Review

Clinical Integration & ACOs 29 Independent Physicians Slow to Accept ACOs, Survey Finds Medicare ACO Growth Outpaces Commercial ACOs By Heather Punke By Heather Punke  I ndependent physicians are less likely than their employed peers to believe accountable care will benefit their practice, according to athenahealth's 2013 Physician Sentiment Index. Compared to employed physicians, independent physicians are: • 6 percent less likely to believe accountable care will improve the qual1 ity of care • 1 percent more likely to think shifting to accountable care will make it 6 more difficult to get paid • 3 percent more likely to believe ACO models will have a negative 4 impact on profitability In addition to their skepticism about ACOs, independent physicians are also more likely to believe the quality of medicine will decline in the next five years compared to their employed counterparts, according to the PSI. The PSI data is based on survey responses from about 1,200 physicians. n M edicare accountable care organizations now outnumber non-Medicare ACO contracts, according to a newly released Leavitt Partners analysis. The analysis, available in the report "Growth and Dispersion of Accountable Care Organizations: August 2013 Update," shows there are 488 total ACOs across the country. Of those, 253 have contracts with CMS, meaning Medicare ACOs account for 52 percent of total ACOs. "Since the inception of the accountable care concept, non-Medicare ACOs…have been dominant," the report states. But with CMS announcing hundreds of new Medicare Shared Savings Program participants, Medicare ACOs surged ahead this year. However, the report notes commercial ACOs continue to develop and are announced on a rolling basis, while there will be no new Medicare ACOs until January 2014. "This may shortly make nonMedicare ACOs a majority once again," the report states. n Poor physician satisfaction keeping you up? For more than three decades, The Greeley Company has worked closely with physicians and hospitals, helping them to successfully reevaluate and restructure their relationships. The result is a level of trust that enhances physician leadership, physician satisfaction and physician-hospital relations, and delivers a better night's sleep for all concerned. So don't let poor physician satisfaction keep you awake at night. Call the Greeley Company today at 888-749-3054, and rest easy. Physician-Hospital Alignment I Medical Staff Operations l Education Clinical Process Improvement l Regulatory Compliance l Accreditation The Greeley Company | Bring us your biggest challenge.

• Cover