News Report | March 1, 2021
40 ACOs Opted Out Of Medicare Program In 2020; Enrollment Down & Down-Side Risk Models Up
For 2021, 40 fewer accountable care organizations (ACOs) are participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) representing a 7.7% drop in participation. The number of MSSP ACOs dropped from 517 in 2020 to 477 in 2021. The number of Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries attributed to an ACO dropped by 7.7%, from about 11.2 million beneficiaries as of January 1, 2020; to about 10.7 million as of January 1, 2021. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency, the MSSP did not accept new ACO applicants.
Approximately 41% of the 2021 ACOs are . . .