Attending the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) conference is always an invigorating experience, packed with knowledge-sharing, networking, and a look into the future of ACOs. Twice a year, I’m given the opportunity to learn from leaders, experts, and passionate advocates as they discuss the latest trends, breakthroughs, and challenges in ACOs.
Following the event, I reached out to some of our customers and partners to capture their biggest takeaways.
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1. Inspiring innovation and collaboration
"Attending the NAACOS Fall 2024 Conference was inspiring. The exchange of innovative strategies and the collaboration with healthcare thought-leaders reinforced my passion for driving meaningful change.
“The conference emphasized the power of partnerships and data-driven approaches in improving patient outcomes, reigniting my commitment to advancing value-based care and health equity. ACOs are at the forefront of enhancing care through population health, and being surrounded by forward-thinking professionals reminded me of the collective impact we can achieve together.
“Thank you to the NAACOS team for a wonderful event!"
– Ramsey Abdallah, DHA, MBA, FACHE, PMP, CMQ/OE, CPHQ, CPPS, FACHDM
Assistant VP, Quality Management & Performance Improvement, Northwell Health Physician Partners
My thoughts
While value-based care has been my focus for over a decade, health equity remains my passion. The health equity bonus attached to quality reporting and the inclusion of the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) measure in 2027 highlight CMS' commitment to supporting underserved populations. These measures underscore the growing recognition that achieving equitable healthcare is not just desirable — it’s integral to value-based care’s success.
2. Navigating MIPS CQMs, Medicare CQMs, eCQMs, and DQMs
"As always, the conference was informative. Many are still grappling with decisions on MSSP quality reporting for 2025 and understanding the distinctions between Medicare CQMs, eCQMs, and more to determine what makes the most sense for them.
“It seems clear that CMS is pushing toward standardization and, ultimately, digital quality measures (DQMs). Providers should also take note of CMS’ allowances regarding the 100% CEHRT requirement, as it may benefit them. It’s an exciting time in the quality space as we navigate these changes."
– Brad Reel, VP Risk-Based Medicare Programs, Lumeris
My thoughts
There’s still a lot of confusion about upcoming changes in ACO quality reporting. CMS introduced Medicare CQMs for 2024, will phase out the CMS Web Interface for 2025, and has proposed that MIPS CQMs will no longer be available starting in 2025.
Although the message is about moving towards all-payer data and digital measurement, CMS’ evolving timeline, options, and goals often leave providers in a state of flux. The upcoming Final Rule will hopefully bring clarity, and I’m eager to see its impact on quality reporting for ACOs.
3. Addressing challenges and provider burden
"My takeaways are that, while risk and care models are evolving, fundamental challenges remain. Providers are still asked to manage extensive demands, and polychronic patients continue to drive a disproportionate share of expenditures.“As the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) focuses on primary care in its models, ACOs and other enablement organizations will need to align closely with care delivery workflows. Stellus Rx believes a scalable, value-based pharmacy component in the care model can help alleviate providers’ concerns about what happens between visits, ultimately reducing the total cost of care through a highly managed patient approach."
– Erik Williams VP, Growth Strategy, Stellus Rx
My thoughts
Including specialists in ACOs has been a challenging decision. CMS’ current incentives don’t necessarily support keeping specialists within the clinician base.
ACOs that opt to retain specialists will need to adapt workflows and introduce new technologies as reporting requirements become more rigorous. Capturing lab results and assessments is just the beginning. As measures related to cancer screenings and social determinants of health emerge, patient history will play an increasingly important role.
Conclusion
Attending the NAACOS conference was enlightening, expanding my perspective and equipping me with practical tools to implement in my work. If you’re considering attending next year, I highly recommend it! The insights, community, and inspiration found here are invaluable, reaffirming the power of collective knowledge and innovation in shaping the future of healthcare.
