Advocate-Blue Cross ACO Sees Improvement In Utilization, Costs

The state's largest health network and largest health insurer have shown marked reductions or slower growth in the use of services as part of their three-year- old accountable-care organization, an encouraging sign as providers and payers try to reduce the cost of care. According to data from Blue Cross, Downers Grove-based Advocate and its network of 4,000 physicians reduced the admission rate for about 200,000 members in the preferred-provider organization portion of the Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) by about 1.4 percent from 2011 to 2012. The rate rose at other hospitals in . . .