Accountable Care Organizations: what they mean for the country and for neurointerventionalists

The Affordable Care Act is celebrating its fifth anniversary and remains one of the most significant attempts to reform healthcare in US history. Prior to the federal legislation, Accountable Care Organizations had largely been part of an academic discussion about how to control rising healthcare costs, but have since become a fixture in our national healthcare landscape. A fundamental shift is underway in the relationship between healthcare delivery and payment models. Some elements of Accountable Care Organizations may remain unfamiliar to most healthcare providers, including neurointerventional specialists. In this paper we review the fundamental concepts behind and the current forms of Accountable Care Organizations, and discuss the challenges and opportunities they present for neurointerventionalists.