Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) announces that its three accountable care organizations (ACO) – Mercy Health Select ACO, Hampton Roads Good Help ACO and Richmond Good Help ACO – created $66.3 million in total savings for its Medicare population in 2022, representing a reduced health care spend to all taxpayers. Since participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), BSMH’s ACOs have saved the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) $236 million and have created $133 million in earned shared savings.
“For years, Bon Secours Mercy Health’s ACO programs have invested resources to improve the quality of care for patients and reduce costs through several actions, including care coordination, preventive health campaigns, closing health care gaps, providing timely access to physicians, and reducing duplication of services,” said Jean Haynes, chief population health officer, Bon Secours Mercy Health. “We are committed to pushing our quality even higher while further lowering costs using innovation and compassion to meet the changing needs of our patients and the communities we serve.”
Mercy Health Select ACO
The Mercy Health Select (MHS) ACO provides high-quality care while reducing costs for its 59,578 beneficiaries in Ohio and Kentucky through a collaboration of hospitals and providers. It was accepted to participate in the MSSP in 2011 and has remained in the program since.
MHS participates in the Enhanced track of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), which is the highest level of downside risk, but also shares the greatest portion of savings if successful. In 2022, MHS successfully achieved expenses below the benchmark and easily exceeded the .5% minimum savings rate, with an actual savings of 7.14%, resulting in $51.1 million in savings to CMS, and $37.5 million in earned shared savings. These results mark MHS’ most successful year since beginning participation in the MSSP.
Mercy Health Select was also named one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s Top 36 ACOs to Know 2023.
Hampton Roads Good Help ACO
In 2022, the Hampton Roads Good Help ACO, which serves 5,778 beneficiaries, participated in Track B of the MSSP, which is an upside only track. BSMH is provided a per-member, per-year financial benchmark in order to share in any savings.
The Hampton Roads Good Help ACO successfully achieved expenses below the benchmark, with an actual savings rate of 4.67%, resulting in $2.71 million in savings to CMS, and earned shared savings of over $1 million.
The Richmond Good Help ACO
The Richmond Good Help ACO also participated in Track B of the MSSP. With 32,955 beneficiaries, the Richmond Good Help ACO successfully achieved a savings rate of 3.56%, resulting in $12.5 million in savings to CMS, and earned shared savings of $4.9 million.
ACO and MSSP models are among strategies CMS employs to lower Medicare spending and keep the Medicare program sustainable for the long term.
CMS rewards ACOs for improving quality of care and reducing costs. Success depends on hospitals, physicians and other clinicians encouraging Medicare patients to maintain their health through better habits, including taking medication as prescribed, in order to prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and preventable hospitalizations.
BSMH’s ACOs are designed to improve community health, elevate the patient experience through coordinated care and lower health care costs.
