CMS Taps Six California Organizations for Latest Round of ACO Program

On Monday, CMS announced that it has selected 89 additional accountable care organizations -- including six in California -- to participate in its Medicare Shared Savings Program, the San Francisco Business Times reports (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 7/9).

The new organizations officially joined the program on July 1 (Adams, CQ HealthBeat, 7/9). According to CMS, the newly selected ACOs will operate in 40 states and the District of Columbia (Viebeck, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 7/9).  

California ACOs

The six California-based newly selected ACOs are:

• ApolloMed Accountable Care Organization in Glendale;
• Golden Life Healthcare in Sacramento;
• John Muir Physician Network in Walnut Creek;
• Meridian Holdings in Hawthorne;
• North Coast Medical ACO in Oceanside; and
• Torrance Memorial Integrated Physicians (CMS release, 7/9).

About the New ACOs

The additions bring the total number of Medicare ACOs -- including 32 Pioneer ACOs and six Physician Group Practice Transition Demonstration organizations -- to 154.

Nearly half the ACOs are led by physician organizations with fewer than 10,000 beneficiaries (CQ HealthBeat, 7/9).

CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said, "This new group of ACOs adds to a solid foundation," adding, "The Medicare ACO program opened for business in January and, already, more than 2.4 million beneficiaries are receiving care from providers participating in these important initiatives."

CMS Accepting New ACO Applications

Also on Monday, CMS announced that it will accept new ACO applications annually.

Organizations that wish to participate in the Shared Savings Program beginning in 2013 can apply between Aug. 1 and Sept. 6 (CMS release, 7/9).