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States sign up for ACO initiative

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 30, 2012

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Medicaid agencies in seven states will participate in a 14-month collaborative to advance accountable care organization concepts, the Center for Health Care Strategies announced July 19.

The participating states are Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. As part of the initiative, the center will provide technical assistance to help participants develop ACO models “that are tailored to their unique health systems and will drive improvements in health care quality and the cost of care,” according to a press release. The center is a nonprofit health policy resource organization that focuses on improving health care quality for low-income Americans.

The states will receive technical assistance in four areas: developing essential building blocks for an ACO; creating an approach for financing, data sharing and measurement; obtaining federal approval; and implementing the program.

The Commonwealth Fund and the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute, a program of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, will provide financial support to the learning collaborative.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/07/30/gvbf0730.htm.

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