Statement on the New Track 1+ Accountable Care Organization Model

Tom Nickels
Executive Vice President
Government Relations and Public Policy
American Hospital Association

We commend the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for creating the Track 1+ accountable care organization (ACO) model. This new ACO model will allow hospitals and clinicians to partner to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care for patients without incurring the unsustainable financial risk that current ACO models require. We have recommended CMS better balance risk and reward for its ACO models, and based on the details in the CMS fact sheet, Track 1+ is a move in the right direction. We also are pleased that CMS is adding to the models available for participating clinicians to receive credit toward MACRA advance payment model incentives, as we urged.

About the AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.