The premise behind Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is solid; it’s the execution that has AdvaMed execs concerned.  That was the message behind a recent media briefing by AdvaMed’s Senior EVP David Nexon and EVP for Payment and Health Care Delivery Policy Ann-Marie Lynch.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish under Medicare ACOs, a new delivery and payment program.

AdvaMed’s position? “ACOs have the potential to improve quality and efficiency of healthcare through incentives that encourage greater concentration among providers and better management of chronic conditions, but, depending on how they are implemented, they could also have the unintended consequence of chilling medical innovation and limiting patient access to appropriate care.”

For more on ACOs and their potential impact on Medical Technology, see Perspectives