In April, Medicare published a proposed rule describing the Shared Savings Program, which is required by the Affordable Care Act to improve outcomes by promoting accountability and quality of care. The proposed rule is available for download on the Shared Savings Program page of the CMS website. Providers are encouraged to review the proposed rule and submit comments to Medicare by close of business on June 6, 2011.

As indicated by CMS, “eligible providers, hospitals and suppliers may participate in the Shared Savings Program by creating or joining an Accountable Care Organization, also called an ACO.” The proposed rule suggests that ACOs “enter into a 3-year agreement with CMS to be accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of traditional fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who may be assigned to it.”

To learn more about the Shared Savings Program and the development of an ACO, please review the following fact sheets:

Coding Corner articles are archived on the Coding Page of the AASM website for future reference.