information for patients

What is an ACO?

An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals, and health care providers working together with Medicare to give you improved service and care. The goal of an ACO is for your doctors to communicate and coordinate your care more effectively with your other health care providers. This ACO partnership will assist your doctor in delivering high-quality care and meeting your unique individual needs and preferences.

For more information about ACOs please refer to the Medicare.gov website:

Information about ACO's

How will I benefit from my participant provider in the ACO?

We will work on your healthcare puzzle by piecing together the following elements:

Focus – You are our focus and our programs center around you.
Coordination – We coordinate your care to treat you as a whole.
Education – Our custom-tailored education programs guide you to a healthy lifestyle.
Prevention – The key to a healthy future.

With us we can help you improve your health and quality of life.

Do I lose any benefits? Are there any restrictions?

No. Your Medicare benefits aren’t changing, and this isn’t a Medicare Advantage plan or an HMO plan. You still have the right to use any doctor or hospital who accepts Medicare, at any time. In an effort to provide enhanced care coordination we can provide you recommendations on selecting a provider or facility for your specific health care needs, but when it comes to your care, it’s always your choice.

Will it cost more than my current Fee-For-Service Medicare?

No. There is no additional cost to you.

Why Medicare wants to share my data with an ACO? What data is it?

Medicare and our ACO strongly believe that, in order to provide you with the right care, in the right place, at the right time, we first need to understand your healthcare needs. For this, we will analyze your medical claims history of the last three years – provided you decide to take advantage of this program. This data will help to better coordinate your future care between you and any Medicare providers you see.If you choose, you can decline to have your personal information shared with us by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.