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Effects of accountable care organizations on post-acute care
Investigator (PI): Bynum, Julie P W
Past Investigator: Chen, Lena
Performing Organization (PO): (Current): University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Medicine / (734) 936-5216
Supporting Agency (SA): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Initial Year: 2016
Final Year: 2021
Record Source/Award ID: RePorter/R01HS024698
Funding: 2016 Award Amount: $357,819
2017 Award Amount: $366,286
2018 Award Amount: $352,090
2019 Award Amount: $318,999
2020 Award Amount: $382,235
Award Type: Grant
Award Information: Reports resulting from this project
Abstract: Post-acute care is one of the fastest growing areas of US healthcare spending. About 40% of older Americans discharged from a hospital utilize post-acute care, and spending in this area has more than doubled in the past decade. To hold providers responsible for longitudinal care, Medicare is testing accountable care organizations (ACOs) in two pilot programs: the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the Pioneer ACO program. The impact of these efforts on both Medicare spending and patient outcomes remains uncertain, however. To the extent that post-acute care (PAC) spending is reduced, understanding whether lower costs occur through reductions in the quantity or intensity of post-acute care, or both, will be important. Furthermore, ACOs vary widely in their organizational structure and risk models (e.g., stronger vs. weaker PAC engagement; and more vs. less risk-sharing). The magnitude of any changes in PAC utilization will plausibly be modified by ACO heterogeneity. Apart from the effects of ACOs on post-acute care utilization and spending, there is also considerable uncertainty about how any changes in post-acute care will impact key clinical outcomes such as mortality. Therefore, we propose to use national Medicare data to carry out three aims: 1) to evaluate the impact of ACOs on post-acute care spending and utilization, 2) to describe how ACO heterogeneity modifies ACOs' effects on post-acute care spending, and 3) to evaluate the impact of changes in post-acute care spending and utilization on patient outcomes.
MeSH Terms:
  • Accountable Care Organizations /*economics
  • /*organization & administration /standards
  • Economics, Medical
  • Health Care Costs
  • Humans
  • Medicare
  • Models, Organizational
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Risk
  • Subacute Care /*economics
  • /*organization & administration /standards
  • United States
Country: United States
State: Michigan
Zip Code: 48109
UI: 20171208
Project Status: Ongoing
Record History: ('2019: PI changed.',)