Hospitals, physicians and other providers have formed 106 new Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) so far this month, bringing the national total to 250 to date, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced yesterday. About 4 million elderly Americans, or 8% of the country’s Medicare beneficiaries, are receiving care through an ACO, according to HHS. For more, click on: http://tinyurl.com/88ysyxc.
Also, HHS yesterday reported that Medicare spending per beneficiary grew just 0.4% in fiscal year 2012, down from 3.6% in 2011 and 1.8% in 2010, and well below the 3.4% increase in per capita gross domestic product (GDP).
While spending per beneficiary is projected to grow at or below GDP over the next decade, total Medicare spending is expected to account for an increasing share of GDP as the number of beneficiariesgrows. For more, click on: http://tinyurl.com/a9y2qdm.
