Ochsner: Accountable Care Network Saved Patients $27M in 2022
NEW ORLEANS – Ochsner Health said its Ochsner Accountable Care Network (OACN) achieved its seventh consecutive year of top-ranking results in both clinical performance and healthcare savings for the Medicare population in its care.
Accountable care organizations like OACN are groups of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers who work together to provide coordinated quality care to Medicare patients. An Ochsner spokesperson said the goal of ACOs is to “improve efficiency and coordination of care, resulting in improved care delivery and reduced healthcare costs to both the patient and organization.”
Ochsner serves Medicare beneficiaries in four Gulf Coast states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently announced the results of the 2022 Medicare Shared Savings Program for ACOs across the United States. The report shows that Ochsner Accountable Care Network’s participating physicians and providers lowered expected cost of care by more than $27 million for more than 52,000 Medicare beneficiaries in 2022. Over the last seven years, according to MMS, OACN has improved the health outcomes for its beneficiaries and reduced healthcare spending by more than $127 million.
“Ochsner Accountable Care Network is saving lives and saving millions of dollars for vulnerable patients in the Gulf South,” said Robert Hart, chairman of OACN.
Ochsner said OACN’s 2022 clinical successes can be attributed to increasing primary care physician visits, focusing on high-risk patient care coordination and support, avoiding preventable emergency department visits and hospitalizations, and improving patient satisfaction.
“In addition to celebrating the healthcare savings and quality outcomes we’ve achieved, we’re extremely gratified that Ochsner Accountable Care Network ranks so highly in customer service,” said Beau Raymond, medical director and executive director for OACN. “Patients are our number one priority, so we are immensely proud to be ranked in the top 5% for all ACOs for customer service.”
