U.S. health insurers are following accountable care organization (ACO) regulatory efforts closely, an Affordable Care Act watcher says.
"At a very high level, they're interested in this," says Maureen Fahey, a principal at KPMG, New York, who is leading the firm's efforts to track implementation of Affordable Care Act — the legislative package that includes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – and related laws and regulations.
"I am positive about the actions the insurers are taking to understand the reform act and t
o determine their best strategic positions," Fahey says.
The ACO is a vehicle for paying teams of health care providers to care for whole patients, instead of paying for care one service at a time.
In the past, the federal government tried to hold down rising health care costs by imposing strict limits on health care providers' financial relationships with other providers.
