Here's a hint: It’s mostly about why ACO leadership should attend FLAACOs 2018.
CMS recently reported that more than 400 ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program generated $652 million in gross savings in 2016. While that is an encouraging number to be sure, some ACOs still struggle to identify and implement investment and partnership opportunities that have the greatest opportunity to improve outcomes while reducing overall costs.
Given the multiple opportunities to impact the 33 quality metrics by which ACOs are measured, it is not a surprise that FLAACOs 2017 (held last month in Orlando) had numerous service providers ranging from nutritionists to lab analysts to software companies to care coordination and medication management trying to figure out where, and how, they fit into mix.
We are hearing about a growing need for a systematic way to prioritize opportunities in a way that makes sense,does not require heavy upfront investment and addresses multiple quality measures. Medication management and care management are two such offerings.
While the vibe at the 4th annual event was upbeat, the scarcity of leadership, including physicians, from individual ACOs was noticeable according to Kaitlyn Roberts, Health Systems Specialist at Curant Health. Why weren’t they there this year? We’re not sure. But here are two reasons we believe attending FLAACOs 2018 would be a value-based investment in time and money for ACO leadership including physicians, administrators and other clinicians.
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Access multiple service provider types in the same place at the same time.
Have you identified software and data analytics as a priority for improving the way you improve population health? Do you believe the right medication management and care coordination partner may be able to improve access to therapies and reduce preventable ER visits? Odds are, there are multiple potential partners and service providers eager to meet with you.
“As a physician, the ability to manage patients when they’re not in front of me has immense value. Closing gaps in the delivery of care including notifications of discharge and transfers, ER visits and failure to pick up critical medications helps patients and clinicians simultaneously. There are also significant associated gains to be made in population health.” - Dr. Joshua Lowentritt, MD, practicing internist and Chair/President of the Louisiana Physicians ACO. Read more of our Q&A with Dr. Lowentritt here.
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Experience the royal treatment.
We think ACO leadership and representatives will be able to ‘hold court’ at FLAACOs 2018 (and similar events). After all, you are the gatekeeper for almost every one of your partners and service providers. They are more educated on, and motivated by, the provision of value than you might think. They are looking for the right fit just like you are.
Come with your “pre-thought out” priority list of top needs, goals and pain points. Then let those who believe they can meet those needs deliver their best, evidence-based pitch.
If you would like to learn more about Curant Health’s medication and care management programs, contact send us an email: CareManagement@curanthealth.com.
You can also download our four part Guide Book for ACOs: “Building Shared Savings by Improving Care Management and Medication Management," here.