CO-OPs, ACOs in the news

Meanwhile, a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions finds that Americans still don't believe the health law is working and have questions about the federal government's priorities.

Politico Pro: Could Co-Ops Defy The Low Expectations?
In the heat of the health reform negotiations two years ago, Democrats sacrificed the public option for a program that tasted like weak tea to liberal critics: the small and relatively cheap health insurance cooperatives meant to compete with major insurers around the country. Despite the initial declarations of irrelevance, though, groups in at least 20 states are now scrambling ahead of an Oct. 17 deadline to apply for the first round of $3.8 billion in funding to start the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans, called CO-OPs. The efforts are as different as the states where they're brewing, from rural Montana, where the state's former insurance commissioner has joined prominent physicians and leaders in labor and business to found a CO-OP, to The Freelancers Union, based in New York, which hopes to bring in some portion of its 150,000 members, among others (Norman, 9/12).

WBUR's CommonHealth blog: More Scrutiny Of Accountable Care Organizations
Deep scrutiny and analysis of so-called Accountable Care Organizations, or ACO's, continues with a new report in the current issue of Health Affairs. It looks at how medical groups are responding to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts' version of this latest iteration of care delivery. ... [T]he report also highlights some challenges, including one which seems pretty darned significant: When you keep people healthy and out of the hospital, you save money. However, you also cut in to hospital profits (Zimmerman, 9/9). 

Modern Healthcare: GOP Lawmakers See ACOs Speeding Consolidation
After months of health care provider criticism over the proposed design of accountable care organizations, Republicans piled on today with charges that such groups will accelerate provider consolidation trends. Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.), chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, said at a hearing on provider consolidation that the 2010 federal healthcare law's ACOs will allow participating providers to command higher private insurance rates regardless of their success at improving quality and lowering costs for Medicare (Daly, 9/9).

National Journal: Survey: Health Care Reform Isn't Working … Yet
Americans don't think health care reform is working, and they are especially dubious of government priorities, according to a survey released Monday by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. They are split on the question being most debated in the courts – whether Americans should be required to have health insurance – and believe media reports of the whole issue are distorted and misleading. The survey of 4,000 adults, done in April, finds they agree with the goals of Congress and the Obama Administration – reducing costs, improving quality, and getting more people covered. Eighty-two percent said reducing costs was important, 77 percent said improving the quality of care was and 60 percent said increasing access to insurance was important (Fox, 9/12).