What is an Accountable Care Organization?

An Accountable Care Organization, or ACO, is a group of hospitals, independent providers and other healthcare organizations who work together to improve quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries and curb the rising cost of healthcare.

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Our ACO partners have agreed to be accountable for the overall health of and costs for their patients. Our goals are to responsibly steward healthcare costs while continuing to improve quality of care and patient satisfaction.

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To achieve these goals, HealthCare Partners of the North Country has worked with our partners to thrive in a value-based payment system. Unlike our current healthcare system, which reimburses providers on a fee-for-service basis, the value-based payment model rewards hospitals and providers for keeping their patients healthy and costs low.

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Specifically, our ACO is focused on preventative health initiatives and other holistic solutions that help patients with chronic diseases manage their conditions and symptoms. Our key initiatives include patient engagement, Chronic Care Management & Transitional Care Management, closure of quality care gaps, hospice and palliative care utilization, annual wellness visits, and improving Hierarchical Condition Category coding accuracy. We also provide transparent data to our partners using sophisticated data processes.

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HealthCare Partners of the North Country is committed to improving the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, both clinically and socially.

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