This is part of Ober|Kaler's comprehensive overview of federal agencies' implementation of the Accountable Care Act's ACO and Shared Savings Program provisions: CMS Proposed ACO Implementing Regulations; Antitrust; Fraud and Abuse; Privacy; Tax-Exempt Organizations.

CMS Proposal Provides Framework for ACO and Shared Savings Program Rules

Recently issued regulations and other notices for comments have given health care providers guidance on how to organize and operate accountable care organizations (ACOs) in order to be eligible to receive payments under Medicare’s Shared Savings Program. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in March 2010, included incentives for the creation of ACOs. Congress established the ACO Shared Savings Program in the ACA to promote accountability of providers to patient populations and to coordinate services under Medicare as well as to encourage providers to make investments in infrastructure and to design care processes for highquality, efficient service delivery. Almost a year later on March 31, 2011, several federal agencies (CMS, OIG, DOJ, FTC and IRS) jointly announced the release of proposed rule making and guidance regarding the ACO program. The proposed rule and related guidance is expected to remove the existing legal impediments in the areas of fraud and abuse, antitrust, tax and privacy to allow for the development of ACOs, and provide guidance on such issues as eligibility to participate, governance, legal structure, quality and privacy....