The Case for Enrolling High-Cost Patients in an ACO

Abraham Graber; Shane Carter; Asha Bhandary; Matthew Rizzo

doi:10.1007/s10730-017-9333-4

The Case for Enrolling High-Cost Patients in an ACO

Abraham Graber, Shane Carter, Asha Bhandary, Matthew Rizzo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Though accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly important to American healthcare, ethical inquiry into ACOs remains in its nascent stages. Several articles have raised the concern that ACOs have an incentive to avoid enrolling high-cost patients and, thereby, have an incentive to deny care to those who need it the most. This concern is borne out by the reports of consultants working with newly formed ACOs. This paper argues that, contra initial appearances, there is no financial incentive for ACOs to avoid enrolling high-cost patients.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	359-365
Number of pages	7
Journal	HEC Forum
Volume	29
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-017-9333-4
State	Published - Dec 1 2017

Keywords

Accountable care organizations
Bioethics
Healthcare expenditures
High-cost patients
Medical ethics
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Health(social science)
Issues, ethics and legal aspects
Health Policy

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10.1007/s10730-017-9333-4

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AB - Though accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly important to American healthcare, ethical inquiry into ACOs remains in its nascent stages. Several articles have raised the concern that ACOs have an incentive to avoid enrolling high-cost patients and, thereby, have an incentive to deny care to those who need it the most. This concern is borne out by the reports of consultants working with newly formed ACOs. This paper argues that, contra initial appearances, there is no financial incentive for ACOs to avoid enrolling high-cost patients.

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The Case for Enrolling High-Cost Patients in an ACO

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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