Recently, a healthsprocket list was posted displaying about six different requirements that an ACO must meet in order to be eligible for the ACO Investment Model. The list's origin comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website fact sheet during the month of October.

The requirements in order to be accepted are as follows: 1) Must be accepted into and participate in the Shared Savings Program. 2) Has completely and accurately reported quality measures to the Medicare Shared Savings Program. 3) Has a preliminary prospective beneficiary assignment of 10,000 or fewer beneficiaries for the most recent quarter. 4) Does not include a hospital as an ACO participant or an ACO provider/supplier unless the hospital is a (CAH) or (IPPS) hospital with 100 or fewer beds. 5) Is not owned or operated in whole or in part by a health plan. 6) Did not participate in the Advance Payment Model.

The goal of coordinated care is to make sure that patients get the right care at the right time, while avoiding duplication of services and preventing errors. ACOs represent one piece of a comprehensive series of initiatives in the Affordable Care Act that are created to decrease costs and increase the improvement of care. When there is success in both delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars wisely, savings will be achieved for the Medicare program.