Comparing ACOs And Other Care Delivery Models

While they contain similar goals as other delivery models such as HMOs and Patient-­‐Centered Medical Homes, ACOs differ with respect to their structure and function. These key differences highlight the new role ACOs are expected to play and ways to achieve previously unseen quality improvements and cost savings.

• ACO vs. Traditional HMO
  • Under an ACO model, provider members work together across varying specialties to develop care delivery programs that incorporate care coordination and focus on health outcomes
  • HMOs and their provider members are not held directly responsible for the health of their patients and are not evaluated on their overall effectiveness
  • The patient is not required to participate in the ACO, as opposed to an HMO
  • HMOs compete for patients with insurance companies and pay providers based on their volume of services
  • Unlike HMOs, ACOs situate accountability at the provider level, enabling the provider to target areas for decreasing cost per patient while ensuring a corresponding improvement in patient outcomes

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