Hand Surgeons and Accountable Care Organizations: Increasing Reimbursement Through Value

Alternative payment models have become an important aspect of health care reimbursement reform. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is attempting to decrease the percentage of traditional fee-for-service secondary to its misaligned incentives and unsustainable financial viability. Accountable care organizations (ACOs), by facilitating alternative payment models, have shown potential to improve the quality and decrease the cost of health care, resulting in a higher net profit for participating practices. As a result, ACOs are anticipated to grow substantially in a number of attributable lives and in the financial responsibility of those lives. Relying on traditional means of reimbursement may impact the financial stability of some hand and upper-extremity practices. Collaborating with ACOs provides another means for hand surgeons to participate in alternative payment models, recognize the high quality of care we provide, and share in the rewards received through cost savings.