The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released in the Oct. 20 Federal Register the final rules on accountable care organizations (ACOs), as part of the Affordable Care Act. The ISMA has a task force on this issue, headed by Past President Vidya Kora, M.D., and ISMA staff is already engaged in examining the final rules. Keep reading ISMA Reports for their reaction and comments.

However, preliminary responses indicate changes from the original draft are positive and mirror recommendations made by the ISMA and AMA. Penalties were decreased and bonuses increased. Mandatory quality measures were also reduced.

Want to get started reading more about the ACO final rules? Here are a number of websites to visit:

• Final rules in Federal Register 
• ACO Fact Sheet 
• Details on the advanced payment model
• New CMS self-referral anti-kickback rules for shared savings programs in the Federal Register 
• Federal Trade Commission/Department of Justice statement regarding ACOs
• Statement from the AMA