Methodist Health System Affiliated ACO Achieves Medicare Savings for Fourth Consecutive Year

DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recognized the Methodist Patient-Centered Accountable Care Organization (MPCACO) as one of the top performing ACOs in the nation.

CMS released the 2016 performance year results for the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Next Generation ACO and the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization Model. The results show physicians, hospitals and healthcare providers participating in ACOs continue to make significant improvements in the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, while achieving cost savings.

MPCACO is the first ACO in North Texas to be awarded shared savings for four consecutive periods.

When an ACO demonstrates that it has achieved high-quality care and effectively reducing spending of healthcare dollars above certain thresholds, it is able to share in the savings generated for Medicare. In 2016, MPCACO attributed savings was more than $10.6 million. Over the past four periods, MPCACO is attributed to saving CMS more than $54 million.

Medicare ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers who come together voluntarily to provide coordinated high quality care to their Medicare patients. The goal of coordinated care is to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO exceeds quality and financial thresholds ? demonstrating achievement of high-quality care and wiser spending of health care dollars ? it is able to share in the savings generated for Medicare.

Methodist Patient-Centered ACO is one of the ACOs that generated shared savings.

"Methodist's Alliance of physicians are committed to providing compassionate, quality healthcare, and that is reflected in our being the first ACO in North Texas to qualify for shared savings four years in a row," says George Williams, MD, MMM, FACEP, President, Methodist Patient Centered ACO. "Methodist continually strives to achieve the high quality outcomes that the Medicare Shared Savings Program demands. It's an honor to work with such dedicated physicians and leaders."

"Methodist's vision is to be the trusted choice for health and wellness for the communities we serve," says Brian Jones, MD, CPE, FAAFP, Chairman, MPCACO Board of Directors. "Part of that vision includes being an essential partner to improve the health of North Texas residents before they need inpatient or emergency hospital care. Our Alliance of physicians is an integral part of that vision."

The Methodist Patient-Centered ACO (MPCACO) is an independent legal entity and is established for purposes of managing the health of the communities served by Methodist Health System by arranging for high quality health care services, while reducing the growth in health care expenditures through enhanced care coordination. The physician members of the Methodist Patient-Centered Accountable Care Organization are independently practicing practitioners and are not employees or agents of MPCACO, Methodist Health System, or any of its affiliated hospitals.

About Methodist Health System

Guided by the founding principles of life, learning, and compassion, Dallas-based Methodist Health System (Methodist) provides quality, integrated health care to improve and save the lives of individuals and families throughout North Texas. Ten hospitals and more than two dozen Methodist Family Health Centers and Medical Groups are among the facilities served by the nonprofit Methodist Health System, which is affiliated by covenant with the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the fastest-growing health systems in America, Methodist continues to add facilities and services to enhance patient care along the entire continuum. Additional information is available at MethodistHealthSystem.org. Connect through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter at MethodistHealthSystem.org/SocialMedia.

SOURCE Methodist Health System