For Providers

Why is an ACO good for my practice?

The federal government is changing the the basis of reimbursement for all providers of care -- paying for patient outcomes rather than for episodes of care:

• BJC has the ability and resources to leverage its experience with this model, which will help bring more stability to provider reimbursements
• The core objective is to improve the quality of patient care and provide better health for patient populations while lowering the growth in health care costs
• This is possible only through better collaboration between hospitals, physician groups and patients

What happens when my practice is a participant in the BJC ACO?

• You can develop more collaborative relationships between hospitals and other physicians
• More collaboration helps ensure better patient outcomes at more efficient costs while providing opportunities for you to share in Medicare cost savings
• Initial focus assists in managing patients as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program
• Financial incentives are based on patient outcomes, with attention to value and quality of care
• This is a framework for BJC to support participating physicians and practices
• ​BJC will help in developing the systems, resources and services necessary to improve patient and population health, and control costs

How does the BJC ACO work?

It enhances access and continuity, thus accommodating patients' needs with:

• Access and advice during and after hours
• Enhanced communications with patients and their families
• More coordination with other providers involved in care

It identifies and coordinates patient populations by:

• Collecting and using data for population coordination

• Planning and coordinating care
• Using evidence-based guidelines for preventive, acute and chronic care coordination, including medication coordination

It provides self-care support and community resources to:

• Assist patients and their families in self-care coordination with information, tools, and resources
• Track and coordinate care, including tests, referrals and transitions of care

It measures and improves performance by:

• Using performance and patient experience data for continuous quality improvement

What are my patients' rights?

Regardless of whether a provider chooses to participate in an ACO, their patients with Medicare may continue to see them.