Publications
January 13, 2012 - This report synthesizes findings and lessons from case studies of four diverse health care organizations participating in the Brookings–Dartmouth ACO Pilot Program, launched in 2009 to support selected provider groups that are collaborating with private payers to form accountable care organizations (ACOs).
April 14, 2011 - Accountable care organizations (ACOs) could achieve better care, better population health, and lower costs, according to this new report from the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System. Also see an analysis of how the Commission's recommendations for successful ACOs align with the proposed rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program for ACOs.
February 4, 2011 - The Affordable Care Act provides incentives for providers to form accountable care organizations (ACOs) as a way to encourage care coordination and reduce health costs. A new report examines key ways in which states have supported development of the ACO model, focusing on Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.
October 20, 2010 - In a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association written with Commonwealth Fund support, Elliott S. Fisher, M.D., and Stephen M. Shortell, Ph.D., contend that rigorous performance measurement and evaluation will be critical to the success of accountable care organizations in achieving their goals..
September 23, 2010 - This newly updated Commonwealth Fund report analyzes the new health reform law's provisions that will affect health care providers’ financial incentives, the organization and delivery of health services, investment in prevention and population health, and the capacity to achieve the best health care and health outcomes for all Americans.
May 14, 2010 - An accountable care organization—a model of care being promoted through the new health reform law—is a provider organization that takes on responsibility for meeting the health needs of a defined population, including the total cost of care and the quality and effectiveness of services. This report describes the efforts of three health care provider organizations in Vermont that are planning pilot tests of accountable care organizations, to be launched next year as part of a national learning network.
July 26, 2010 - Nearly nine of 10 leaders in health care and health care policy believe current financial interests and lack of incentives for integration are barriers to the growth of accountable care systems, according to the latest Health Care Opinion leaders survey. Also see blog posts by HHS Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and former U.S. Senator David Durenberger.
November 3, 2009 - Patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACO) are two critical elements of delivery system reform. Policy experts writing in the New England Journal of Medicine outline strategies for uniting these models so they can realize their full potential to improve coordination, increase accountability, strengthen primary care, and reduce health care costs.
July 2, 2009 - Fifteen case studies illustrate how diverse types of organized health care delivery systems promote higher performance through information continuity, patient engagement, care coordination, team-oriented care delivery, continuous innovation and learning, and convenient access to care.
March 25, 2009 - A look at Hill Physicians Medical Group, the nation’s largest independent practice association, which has improved clinical outcomes, increased efficiency, and engendered physician support for quality improvement and cost reduction activities.
August 7, 2008 - This report from The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System outlines what an ideally organized U.S. health care system would look like.
May 16, 2012 - A new analysis of the Commonwealth Fund 2010 Biennial Health Insurance Survey demonstrates that when low-income adults have both health insurance and a medical home, they are less likely to report cost-related access problems, more likely to be up-to-date with preventive screenings, and report greater satisfaction with the quality of their care.