Release Date: October 1, 2011
Expiration Date: October 1, 2013

Approved for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™

The American Medical Association (AMA) adopted ACO principles on November 9, 2010, at its Interim Meeting in San Diego. The Association is advocating that participation by physicians be voluntary and that barriers for small practices to participate be eliminated. This program will discuss the soon to be released accountable care organization regulations and related issues (e.g. Antitrust). These regulations, will determine how ACOs qualify for CMS' shared savings program in 2012. In addition, the program will explain how ACOs are intended to help physicians and others, including hospitals, coordinate and provide effective quality care. Finally, the program will describe the new nonprofit, member-run health insurer ("CO-OP") program that provides federal loans and grants for start-up insurers that physicians and others might establish and operate, and that may collaborate with physician-driven ACO's.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe what accountable care organizations (ACOs) are and the types of issues with which physicians will most likely grapple with when considering ACO participation.
2. Discuss the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Regulations.
3. Describe the tools necessary to participate in ACOs.
4. Discuss managing the antitrust ramifications of ACO formation and physician joint contracting with payors.
5. Describe many of the specific issues that physicians must consider when deciding whether or not to create an ACO with hospital partners.
6. Identify some of the key issues that should be considered by physicians deciding whether or not to partner with hospitals or health insurers to create an ACO.
7. Discuss what CO-OPs are; the new opportunities for CO-OPs that now exist in a post-health reform world, and what those new opportunities may mean for physicians.
   

Target Audience

This activity is designed for medical staff leaders (Chief of Staffs, Medical Staff Presidents, Medical Directors and Medical Staff members), medical staff service professionals and medical staff legal counsel.

Statement of Need

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of physicians who need information on the new regulations and other issues related to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), such as antitrust laws in order to educate physicians who are grappling with considering participation in an ACO.

Statement of Competency

This activity is designed to address the following ABMS/ACGME competencies: systems-based practice and quality improvement.

CME Activity Planning Committee

Hadley Callaway, MD - OMSS Representative/AMA
Jim DeNuccio, MBA - Director of Physicians in Practice/AMA
Jim Goodyear, MD - OMSS Governing Council Secretary/AMA
Jay Gregory, MD - OMSS Governing Council Chair/AMA
Gale Hazen, MD - OMSS Governing Council Member-at-Large B/AMA
Robert Jackson, MD - OMSS Representative/AMA
Brian Johnston, MD - OMSS Governing Council Delegate/AMA
Peter Kang, MD - OMSS Representative/AMA
Mary Kelly - CME Program Committee/AMA
Lynn Nowak, MD - OMSS Representative/AMA
Lee Perrin, MD - OMSS Governing Council Alternate Delegate/AMA
Katie Tinney, MEd - Program Development Administrator/AMA

Faculty

Henry Allen, Jr., JD, MPH, Senior Attory IV, Private Sector Advocacy/AMA
Elias Matsakis, JD, Partner/Holland & Knight LLP

Accreditation Statement

The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education credit for physicians.

Designation Statement

The American Medical Association designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim on the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Receiving Your CME Credit

After viewing the webinar, in order to receive CME credit, you must successfully complete the quiz (answering at least 4 out of 5 questions correctly) and fax the quiz along with your completed credit claim form to the AMA (fax number provided on forms).  The quiz and credit claim form can be found by clicking on the globe icon on the left navigation bar in the slide presentation.

Disclosure

The content of this activity does not relate to any product of a commercial interest as defined by the ACCME; therefore, there are no relevant financial relationships to disclose for the planners or faculty.

Bibliography

• "Hospital-Physician Collaboration: Landscape of Economic Integration and Impact on Clinical Integration" The Milbank Quarterly, Vol. 86, No.3, 2008 (pp.375-434).
• McKinsey & Company, 2007 Jan.
• 2010 Holland & Knight LLP

Should you have any questions regarding this activity please contact Katie Tinney at kathryn.tinney@ama-assn.org or 312.464.5450.

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