ACOs are here! ...but will it be everywhere?

Details of the long awaited CMS ACO proposed rules were released on March 31, 2011 and posted in the April 7, 2011 edition of the Federal Register.

The Federal Register entry can be found here.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also simultaneously posted fact sheets and other resources about the proposed ACOs rules:

• Summary of Proposed Rules.
• Summary of the 65 ACO Performance Measures
• Other Federal Agencies Addressing the Legal Issues of ACO Participation
• The Press Release Announcing the ACO Rules
• CMS Fact Sheet about what Providers Need to Know of ACOs

No doubt there will be significant commentary provided by healthcare organizations throughout the country over the next few months. The comment period closes on June 6, 2011. ACO final rules go into effect January 1, 2012.