This article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association discusses the potential negative impact that Affordable Care Organizations (ACO). The initiative encourages provider organizations to integrate, which could potentially reduce competition in the market and reduce the negotiating power of private sector purchasers.

Richman, B. D. and Schulman, K. A. (2011). A cautious path forward on accountable care organizations. Journal of the American Medical Association, 305(6): 602-603. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.111. http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/6/602.extract

Authors: Barak D. Richman and Kevin A. Schulman