11.19.2018

Additional Primary Practices in Central/Western Mass. Join ACOs

The sweeping MassHealth Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program just got a little larger; Mass Health announced last week that effective January 1, 2019, 20 primary care practices will join three ACOs in Central and Western Massachusetts.

Primary care physicians in 20 practices currently care for approximately 26,000 MassHealth members.  These enrollees have the option to change their managed care plan within 90 days. The three ACOs are: Boston Children’s ACO with Tufts Health Plan (with seven new practices); BMC HealthNet Plan Community Alliance – Boston Accountable Care Organization (eight practices); and Community Care Cooperative (five practices).

The five-year MassHealth ACO demonstration project began on March 1, 2018, and is serving more than 800,000 people. Seventeen ACOs are participating in three types of ACO models: Accountable Care Partnership Plans (13), Primary Care ACOs (3), and MCO Administered ACOs (1).  The individuals being served are those who are younger than age 65, have MassHealth as their primary coverage, and are not on Medicare or covered by other insurance.