Funding Shortage Delays ACO Pediatric Pilot Program

A nationwide pilot program for a Medicaid accountable care organization that focuses on pediatric care has been delayed because of lack of funding for the program. The Affordable Care Act calls for the creation of a pilot demonstration where pediatricians form ACOs to test strategies for controlling costs. Although there is no word on when the pilot program, originally slated to launch in 2012, will begin, some larger children's hospitals -- such as Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio -- have started contracting directly with their states' Medicaid programs to develop ACOs.

• "Lack of $$ Hampers Medicaid Demo" (Pittman, "The Gupta Guide," MedPage Today, 11/5).