Answers on ACOs
Qualify for a free subscription to HealthLeaders magazine.
Some accountable care organizations could fall into designated antitrust “safety zones” while other ACOs could be eligible for expedited antitrust reviews under proposed rules issued jointly March 31 by the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.
The two agencies are asking for public comment on their joint proposed policy guidelines, which are designed to ensure that ACOs can serve Medicare beneficiaries and patients with private health insurance without raising competitive concerns.
The proposed rules were issued the same day that the Department of Health and Human Services released for public comment its long-awaited proposed rules governing ACOs.
“The administration has led an unprecedented, collaborative effort among all of the agencies responsible for developing guidance for ACOs,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “This guidance will help ensure that ACOs meet their goals of improving quality and lowering costs while minimizing the regulatory burden on healthcare providers.”
ACO collaborations among competitors could raise concerns about competitiveness, DOJ and FTC said. So they developed the proposed antitrust policy statement to coordinate competition analysis with CMS’ review of ACO applications to ensure they do not lead to reduced competition.
2. When the FTC and DOJ will apply
particular antitrust analyses to those
3. An antitrust safety zone for certain
- CFO Exchange: Smartphones Poised to Disrupt Healthcare, Says Topol
- Consumerism Drives Healthcare Branding, Rebranding Efforts
- PA Ranks See 'Phenomenal Growth,' Lack of Diversity
- CNO on Hospital Redesign: 'You Can't Over-Communicate'
- How Digital Strategy Shapes Patient Engagement at Boston Children's Hospital
- 3 Traits Personality Assessments Can't Reveal
- Half of All Primary Care, Internal Medicine Jobs Unfilled in 2013
- Antibiotic Overuse a 'Huge Threat' to Patient Safety, Says CDC
- Carondelet to Pay $35M to Settle Fraud Allegations
- CHS Hacked, 4.5M Patient Records Compromised