Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network, a subsidiary of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, announced that the network has achieved more than $13 million in cost savings for 22,559 Medicare beneficiaries. These cost savings are reflected in performance year 2020 and reported as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) accountable care organization (ACO) initiative called the Next Generation ACO Model.
The Next Generation ACO Model, in its fifth year, allows for setting more predictable financial targets, gives patients more opportunities to manage their own health through technology and enables providers to better coordinate care across the entire continuum. Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network is comprised of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and Baton Rouge Clinic providers. With more than 22,500 Medicare beneficiaries, Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network is the only Next Generation ACO in the state of Louisiana.
In performance year 2020, Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network received a 97.81 percent overall quality performance score. With such a high score, the network earned an “excellent” rating from CMS and is ranked among the top performing ACOs in the country.
“Since the very beginning of our physician collaboration, our Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network has more than held its own among ACOs across the country,” said Christopher Funes, MD, president of Health Leaders Network. “We’re making care more coordinated and efficient for our Medicare beneficiaries – those citizens in our community who deserve to be treated with the highest level of care and compassion. Through our ACO, we’ll continue to set an example for other health systems across the Gulf South.”
“I am enormously proud of the Health Leaders Medicare ACO Network and the success we have had in improving the quality of care for seniors while reducing costs,” said Richard Vath, MD, chief executive officer of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System. “As our partnership demonstrates, collaboration and information-sharing among providers is key to ensuring the highest quality of care and improving patient outcomes. Our ACO model also stands as an example of what can be accomplished when we work together to reduce the cost of healthcare.”