A timely examination of how states articulate federal policy has us looking at how the states are responding to the passage of the federal ACA. It behooves a health administrator to know how to track and influence developments in state policymaking as much as in the federal process. Many of the same skills apply.

In this learning activity, you will be examining how states are responding to one particular federal policy. We will be moving our focus to yet another provision of the ACA—the one dealing with development of accountable care organizations. You will discover what states are expected to do, what some have done, and finally what is happening in your own state in regard to the issue. Some federal rulemaking has already occurred about ACOs and states are busily considering what they can and should do to manage ACO development. You can read the exact wording of the provision regarding ACOs in the Affordable Care Act. Also, review Summary of the Affordable Care Act as a “layman’s” version or a summary of the ACA. Between the Longest readings that cover state policy making in general, and the Purington article about specific state responses to ACOs, you will have a good basis upon which to build.

Initial Post:

Discuss some recent happening in your state about ACOs. You should assume that the goal is to inform people in your health care organization what is going on in your state. That means you should define that organization so we know who the audience is.

About your state:

Please note that if you live in one of the states reviewed in the Purington article, find three sources beyond Purington and beyond those cited by Purington. If you find that your state has done nothing to warrant any coverage and articles, please choose a state you consider similar (you can choose the criteria you use) and research it.

1. In a brief introductory paragraph describe your purpose and audience.
2. Find three outside sources to support your position. You should, in particular, look for any stated or implied implications for patients, providers, and hospitals.
3. In a concluding statement include the following: The states Purington describes have moved along on planning for ACOs, but not all states have. Where does your state seem to be as compared to those in the Purington article? What do you think about its direction? If your state seems really behind, comment on why you think that is. If you are from a state discussed by Purington, can you see any change or move forward from the time of the article? In your discussion, you should summarize your sources in order to highlight the relevance of the sources.

 

State Health Policy in Florida

            Accountable care organizations(ACO) are the healthcare delivery system foundation of the affordable care act(ACA). Notably, the accountable care organization constitutes integrated healthcare contributors that are mutually held responsible for obtaining enhancement in healthcare and minimizing the levels of disbursing development for a particular population. For example, the accountable care association in Florida is an organization of healthcare leaders in Florida. The organization aims to ensure the healthcare providers work together to increase the quality of care delivered to the patients while significantly reducing medical costs. Currently, the organization has formed a strategic partnership with Care Dove company to offer the state ACO membership with access to Care Doves’ advanced. Typically, this is a digital benchmark that concentrates on enhancing patient care transformation into home care and community solutions. Care Dove operates with FLAACOs and its ACO members to develop and build out trusted networks between its ACO members and the organza tons and board offering homecare and community aid solutions in the community (McCann, 2012). Importantly, ACO in Florida has taken in new programs by bringing together an independent physician group to improve healthcare delivery by enhancing patient satisfaction and minimizing costs.

            The Florida Association of ACOs states that the partnership with Care Dove would help ensure that they would take leadership duty in helping in addressing the aspects of care needs to ensure patients remain healthy in their homes. The community is also enhanced to prevent costly readmission into the acute care system (The Henry J.Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010). Significantly, there will be the implementation of home care and community agencies that will serve people all over Florida state. Another way the ACO is beneficial in Florida is by evaluating population health and quality improvement activities. For instance, the organization will view the patient's records and delivering comprehensive care at economical costs (Watts, 2013). The ACO care conveyance framework in Florida interrelates healthcare between patients and healthcare team groups, intending to strengthen the physician-patient relationship. The ACO in the west of Florida also participates in the Medicare shared servings program to enhance coordination between healthcare providers to enhance patient satisfaction and prevent unnecessary costs. The ACO is designed to provide visibility into the patients across some settings, facilitate smooth transitions of care engagement of patients and providers in preventative care, enhancing health results, and minimizing costs.

            In the final analysis, the ACO, a critical component of the affordable care act, aims to make sure the patients get the proper care at the right time to prevent medical errors. The Florida state has been playing a critical role in the development of the ACO model. Compared to the states described by Purington, Florida seems to be faring on well wince it has initiated programs that are of benefit to the state people (Coustasse, 2011). The ACO in Florida aims to provide the state with a means to integrate, ensuring that every firm in healthcare develops and progresses. Therefore, the ACO aligns goals is to improve healthcare outcomes across the state. On the other hand, Varedove is a healthcare solution company that makes it easy for patients to obtain home care services. Through this partnership, the accountable care organization will ensure that providers, patients, and care coordinators can get home care services. Further, ACO in Florida aims at delivering high-quality care and ensuring the providers receive financial rewards.