ACOs, employer mandate continue to draw attention

The Hill reports that the Internal Revenue Service is seeking public comment on the health law's employer mandate while PBS NewsHour "decodes" accountable care organizations.

The Hill: IRS Seeks Comments On Health Care Law's Employer Mandate
The Internal Revenue Service is seeking public comments on health care reform's employer mandate, including feedback on an agency proposal for determining which employers are required to provide coverage. The health care reform law requires companies with more than 50 employees to offer health insurance or pay a fine for each worker who buys coverage on his or her own (Baker, 5/3).

PBS NewsHour: Accountable Care Organizations In Health Reform Decoded
Fragmentation and unnecessary testing are two of the hallmarks of medical care in the United States. They're also a major factor in what's driving the cost of health care through the roof. The Kaiser Family Foundation has just released its annual report on health care spending in the United States and found that $7,538 a year is now spent on each American. That's at least $2,535 more or 51 percent higher than Norway, the next largest per capita spender. Enter a new idea: The Accountable Care Organization (ACO), a key provision in the new federal health care law. Theoretically, these health care providers would get together and decide what the average cost per year is to treat people who live in that part of the country, and stick to that amount. At the end of the year, providers who can prove their patients got better care and didn't spend all of the pre-set amount of money would get to pocket the savings (Bowser, 5/3).