Shared savings, shared risk: first-year potential gains and losses of ACOs

As hospitals prepare for a new world of shared payments under the ACO model, they need to make determinations with respect to four key areas of concern: Integration--whether the organization can realistically deliver all that is required for shared savings. Cost versus benefits--whether the benefits of becoming an ACO exceed the costs. Patient loyalty--whether their patient population is sufficiently loyal to help ensure the organization will succeed as an ACO. Risks versus rewards--which option among ACO models is most financially attractive based on an analysis of the particular data sets.