ACO
Medical abbreviation · Health Insurance
| Stands for | Accountable care organization |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
ACO stands for Accountable care organization, a health insurance abbreviation.
Group of doctors, hospitals and other providers that voluntarily share responsibility for the quality and total cost of care for a defined population, earning a share of savings when they beat spending benchmarks while meeting quality standards. Some arrangements also expose them to losses.
Example: Our clinic joined an ACO, so care managers now call high-risk patients after discharge.
Usage notes
The Medicare Shared Savings Program, created by the Affordable Care Act, launched ACOs in 2012, and commercial insurers and Medicaid programs followed. Patients in Medicare ACOs keep full freedom to see any provider. ACOs invest in care coordination, data analytics and preventive outreach.
Related abbreviations
More health insurance abbreviations
- ABN – Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage
- ACA – Affordable Care Act
- AEP – Annual Enrollment Period
- AOB – Assignment of benefits
- APC – Ambulatory payment classification
- APTC – Advance premium tax credit
- ASO – Administrative services only
- AV – Actuarial value
- BAA – Business associate agreement
- BCBS – Blue Cross Blue Shield
- CDHP – Consumer-directed health plan
- CDM – Charge description master (chargemaster)
See all 107 health insurance abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.