The D&T Report

CMS's proposed rules for accountable care organizations have some members of the renal community concerned, while others see potential for improved care for kidney patients

A new acronym is swimming in the healthcare alphabet soup: ACO, which stands for accountable care organization. And just as HMO and PPO have made it into the popular lexicon, ACO is rapidly moving from the world of policy wonks onto the radar of concerned patients, clinicians, and other care providers. That's because one of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed last year will allow ACOs to start contracting with Medicare in January 2012 as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Response to this development from members of the renal community has ranged from cautious optimism to concern that kidney patients may get the short shrift.