On July 26, the Commonwealth Fund released this brief examining the results of its Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey.  The survey found that health care financing plays an important role in implementing accountable care organizations (ACOs).  When asked to identify “significant barriers” to ACO implementation, 93 percent chose current financial interests and incentives, 86 percent chose a lack of financial incentives for integration of services, and 75 percent chose the misalignment of public and private payer policies and practices.  The brief notes that the national health care reform law contains many provisions designed to coordinate and integrate care to improve service delivery.

From the report:

A majority of leaders support the proliferation of integrated models of care delivery. But they also support certain safeguards, like developing measures of performance to which organizations can be held accountable, and express concerns about organizations exerting undue influence in consolidated markets. More than eight of 10 leaders feel that developing performance metrics, implementing provisions to increase transparency and public reporting, and establishing an Innovation Center within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should receive high priority from the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the next one to two years. Survey respondents also support development of a national accreditation system for accountable care organizations and public utility-type regulation of payment rates in areas where there is insufficient market competition.

Full report: Health Care Opinion Leaders’ Views on Delivery System Innovation and Improvement (PDF | 654KB)

The Commonwealth Fund. (2010). Health care opinion leaders’ views on delivery system innovation and improvement. Stremikis, K., Davis, K. and Audet, A.