ACO’s – the latest acronym that is demanding my attention.  Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) are one of the by-products of the 2010 Health Care Reform law. As with so many “new ideas”, ACO’s are some old ideas under a new acronym, they sound reasonable and they promise something we all are for – lower cost, higher quality health care.

Like so many other new ideas, there is more there than meets the eye and execution / implementation aren’t quite as easy as you would think.  “An ACO is like a unicorn; everyone thinks they know what one is, but no one has ever seen one,” says Gene Lindsey, president and chief executive of Atrius Health. “A few months ago, I announced to our organization, ‘We are an ACO.’ “

As I start learning about ACO’s to understand their impact on the home health care industry and the data initiatives and opportunities we are working on, there are a few things for certain:

1. A lot of money will be spent creating ACO’s long before the cost saving benefits are realized.
2. Information Technology (IT) will play a central role in the formation, execution and justification for an ACO.
3. Consultants and attorneys will make a lot of money.
4. Home health care, with their limited IT budgets and data connectivity (as compared to large health systems) are behind the curve, and possibly more at risk, when it comes to ACO’s.
5. Where there is change, there is opportunity.

As with other “new ideas” and acronyms, like HIPAA and cloud computing, it pays to take the time up front to understand what is being “sold” and what is required.  Take some time to learn how ACO’s impact the home infusion and specialty pharmacy providers in your market area and carefully get involved.  Find the opportunity that waits for you, and proceed with caution and with the facts.