Number of ACOs in Medicare Shared Savings Program 2012-2022
ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who voluntarily collaborate to achieve coordinated enhanced quality of care, reduced costs, and improved health outcomes of a designated patient population. ACOs were introduced as part of the Affordable Care Act to shift the U.S. health system from volume-based care (fee-for-service) to value-based care (alternative payment models). Most ACOs receive payment through Medicare or Medicaid, but an increasing number also contract with commercial (or private) payers.