On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced three Affordable Care Act initiatives designed to help put doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers on the path to becoming Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and improve healthcare for Americans with Medicare.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation is:

• requesting applications for a new Pioneer ACO Model that provides a faster path for mature ACOs,
• seeking comments on the idea of an Advance Payment Initiative by which certain ACOs participating in Medicare Shared Savings Program could have access to their shared savings up front, and
  
• inviting providers to learn more about coordinating patient care through ACO by attending free Accelerated Development Learning Sessions

For more information about all these initiatives, visit the Innovation Center website.
http://innovations.cms.gov/

To read the full CMS press release issued Tuesday, May 17, 2011 visit
http://www.cms.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?counter=3957