Catholic Health Physician Partners ACOs Earn High Marks for Quality

In 2020, Accountable Care Organization (ACOs), under the management of Catholic Health Physician Partners (CHPP), improved care for 38,300 Medicare beneficiaries in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In addition, CHPP saved Medicare approximately $16.5 million by meeting quality and cost goals in 2020, according to recently released performance data from the federal agency that administers Medicare. 

The Medicare data shows that the CHPP ACOs earned Quality Performance Scores of greater than 98 percent on performance measures ranging from patient experience, preventive health, chronic illness management, patient safety and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. That means better care for Long Islanders. The $16.5 million of gross savings to Medicare resulted in a shared savings payment of $6.4 million to CHPP ACOs, as part of the federal government’s Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). These monies will be used to support ongoing population health management efforts, further improving access and quality care. 

"When providers work together through an ACO to focus on patients and invest in improving care coordination, clinical outcomes, leveraging information technology and other initiatives, they can both increase quality and reduce costs," said CHPP Senior Vice President for Value-Based Care & Chief Physician Executive George Beauregard, DO. "ACOs like ours are measurably improving care and saving money while maintaining patients’ choice of highly-skilled Medicare providers." 

For example, CHPP ACO providers strive to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to schedule annual wellness visits, which include reviewing and ensuring that recommended preventive health screenings are performed, addressing existing gaps in care, chronic illness management, etc. The ACOs also focuses on ensuring seamless patient transitions from the hospital to home—or a nursing home. All ACO providers receive detailed information about their performance on quality and utilization measures. In addition, clinicians and providers share best practices to coordinate the treatment patients receive from different primary and specialty care providers to prevent health issues from worsening and repeat hospitalizations. CHPP has two ACOs comprised of physician practices within its employed medical group as well as independent physicians. Each of the groups serve patients across both Nassau and Suffolk counties. 

A market-based solution to fragmented and costly care, ACOs empower physicians, hospitals and other providers to work together to improve quality, enhance patient experience and keep care affordable. The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) incentivizes ACOs to invest in transforming care by allowing them to share in the savings they generate after meeting defined quality and cost goals. 

In 2020, 513 MSSP ACOs saved Medicare approximately $1.9 billion, marking the fourth consecutive year of net savings to Medicare. Currently, more than 12.1 million Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries receive care from a health care provider participating in a Medicare ACO.

"The MSSP is the largest value-based payment model in the country and a critical tool in moving America’s health care system toward better value," said Catholic Health’s President & Chief Executive Officer Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA. “The high achievement of our ACOs is reflective of Catholic Health’s overall commitment to providing Long Islanders high value, high-quality care that puts the patient’s needs first.”