Back in 1996, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice, in providing antitrust guidance for multi-provider networks, considered financial integration and clinical integration as separate pathways for such networks to avoid per se violations of the antitrust laws and, instead, to be treated under the rule of reason, allowing for an assessment of their procompetitive vs. anticompetitive effects. With 65 organizations now participating in Medicare shared savings initiatives, including the 27 Medicare Shared Savings Program participants announced on April 10 (there are 32 Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations and 6 Physician Group Practice Transition Demonstration organizations), we can see, 16 years later, how clinical and financial integration in fact go hand in hand. Under these various accountable care arrangements, multi-providers entities contracting with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as ACOs are required to demonstrate both quality (i.e., delivery reform featuring clinical integration) and cost efficiency (i.e., payment reform featuring financial integration).
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