How Do Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) Differ?

In three years, ACOs have grown to number well over 400 and cover around 12 million lives in three different payer markets—Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial. No matter the payer, ACOs are more alike than different. All ACOs are based on an enhanced primary care model for care coordination where primary care providers manage consumer utilization across the entire care continuum. Where they differ is in composition. Medicare ACO composition is weighted more heavily toward physician-led models compared to commercial (insurer sponsored) models. In the case of Medicaid, Medicaid ACOs reflect the managed care structure of the state's . . .