Hospitals with 50 or more beds will not be able to provide services through qualified health plans working with state insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) unless the hospital has a patient safety evaluation system and reports to a patient safety organization (PSO), certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), pursuant to a contractual agreement. The state exchanges are expected to cover between 15 to 20 million individuals who currently have no health care insurance.

PSO Mandate Under the ACA -

The ACA calls for states to create health insurance exchanges that must be operational by January 1, 2014. Health insurance exchanges are charged with expanding coverage for the uninsured, improving health care quality, reducing costs and empowering consumers to choose a health plan that gives them the best value.