Commentary: If 2015 was the year that brought telemedicine directly to consumers, 2016 will be the year of telemedicine and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). ACOs are expected to increase the use of telemedicine technologies as a way to improve patient quality, achieve greater cost savings, and meet Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) patient threshold.
According to a CMS report of 2014 data, while CMS considered the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) a success, only 27% of ACOs achieved enough savings and quality improvements to trigger financial incentives. At the same time, only 20% of ACOs employ telemedicine services, according to separate recent research.
