Humana Collaborates for ACO Pilot

Humana and a local health care system in Louisville (Norton Healthcare) have been named one of the 5 pilot ACOs in the country as selected by the Brookings Institute and Dartmouth:

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-259411/Norton-Healthcare-Humana-Launch-ACO-Pilot##

Key paragraph:

Norton-Humana ACO already have identified several initial areas of emphasis, including improvements in preventive screenings and tests, such as mammograms, and vaccinations, better management of chronic illnesses, such as heart failure, more effective treatment of common problems, such as back pain, use of generic drugs, and improved access to the appropriate level of care, rather than emergency department treatment.

The Brookings-Dartmouth team will evaluate the pilots to see how ACOs can impact payment reform, with the hope that a model can be replicated across the nation, building on health reform legislation which will likely make ACOs a voluntary option with Medicare participation in 2012.