As the Affordable Care Act transforms the health care landscape, accountable care organizations are emerging as the next frontier in care delivery, promising better alignment of health provider incentives and patient outcomes and, for employers, lower health care costs and better management of employees with chronic conditions.
Large companies such as Intel and Boeing are taking advantage of ACOs and smaller companies are also getting on board with the idea that more coordinated care delivery with proper incentives will, over time, lead to lower employer costs and improved care for employees. But some warn ACOs are still in their infancy and there is no reliable way for employers to gauge their effectiveness.
