Memorial Hermann Accountable Care Organization: Medicare Shared Savings Program Performance Year 2015 Quality and Financial Results
Katy, TX (August 26, 2016) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the 2015 performance year results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model that show physicians, hospitals and health care providers participating in Accountable Care Organizations continue to make significant improvements in the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, while achieving cost savings.
In 2015, Medicare Accountable Care Organizations had combined total program savings of $466 million, which includes all Accountable Care Organizations’ experiences, for 392 Medicare Shared Savings Program participants and 12 Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model participants. The results show that more Accountable Care Organizations shared savings in 2015 compared to 2014, and those with more experience tend to perform better over time.
Medicare ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated high quality care to their Medicare patients. The goal of coordinated care is to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO exceeds quality and financial thresholds – demonstrating achievement of high-quality care and wiser spending of health care dollars – it is able to share in the savings generated for Medicare.
The Memorial Hermann Accountable Care Organization is one of the ACOs that shared savings.
“A commitment to delivering high quality and safe care is fundamental to the Memorial Hermann’s mission and a key reason why our ACO continues to achieve year-over-year success,” said Dr. Benjamin K. Chu, President and CEO, Memorial Hermann. “In the three years since the Memorial Hermann ACO volunteered for MSSP, it has delivered a value proposition of better clinical outcomes and lower costs to Medicare recipients, many of whom are on fixed incomes. These types of results bode well for that population – and all populations – going forward.”
Chris Lloyd, Senior Vice President and CEO of MHMD, the Memorial Hermann Physician Network and Memorial Hermann ACO, added:
“When we began this journey four years ago, our objective was to reduce the cost of care while at the same time demonstrate increased quality by using data to underpin the practice of evidence-based medicine,” said Lloyd. “Our year-over-year performance for three consecutive years confirms that our clinically-integrated physicians’ network combined with our use of innovative technology and a team concept to managing the care of patients is not only resulting in savings but also high quality clinical outcomes.”
Nishant Anand, MD, FACEP, as Physician-in-Chief for MHMD said regarding the savings:
“We are excited about the MSSP results,” said Anand. “We also are firmly committed to population health. Going forward, we are even more excited as we will continue to improve the coordination of care as well as redefine the delivery of care through new innovative models. We are building the type of coordinated, holistic care that we would want for ourselves and our loved ones – a model that truly emphasizes enhancing the health and well-being of our patients rather than simply providing ‘sick care’.”
Additional Resources
Visit the Medicare Shared Savings Program News and Updates webpage to access the CMS press release and fact sheet, the link to the Performance Year 2015 results file, and to learn more about the program.
Courtesy of Memorial Hermann Hospital
