A key element of the Affordable Care Act’s health care delivery and payment reform agenda is the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). The MSSP provides a legal framework and a set of financial incentives for groups of providers – through participation in an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) – to collaborate in delivering higher-quality and more cost-effective care to Medicare beneficiaries. The recent issuance of a Proposed Rule implementing the MSSP by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is heightening the focus of health care organizations in New York and across the nation on whether ACOs offer a viable framework for changing the way health care is delivered and funded.

The New York State Health Foundation – in a new report authored by Deborah Bachrach, Robert Belfort, William Bernstein, and Susan Ingargiola of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP – provides a framework for New York State officials and health care stakeholders to consider the policy issues raised by the development of ACOs in New York. “Considerations for the Development of Accountable Care Organizations in New York State” provides a high-level overview of recent Medicare ACO initiatives, discusses New York’s health industry landscape, and explores key issues for consideration by the state.