Treatment through Medicare’s Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) would be more readily available in rural areas under bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) on Thursday.
The ACO Assignment Improvement Act, H.R. 6261, would establish new options under the Medicare Shared Savings Program to boost patient access to quality healthcare and reduce costs in underserved areas.
“We need to do everything we can to put rural healthcare providers in a position to succeed so that folks in rural areas have access to the high-quality healthcare they deserve,” Jenkins said. “This legislation would help folks in eastern Kansas and rural communities everywhere by expanding the choices patients have, and it will provide a way for those providers to create stronger, patient-focused healthcare networks that save patients time and money and provide high-quality care.”
The bill would enable Medicare beneficiaries assigned to an ACO — a group of hospitals, doctors or other healthcare providers that voluntarily join together to treat specific patient populations — to receive treatment from nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists and registered dietitians.
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), who introduced the bipartisan bill with Jenkins, said that many Medicare patients in rural areas have a hard time finding a doctor.
“Our bipartisan bill gives them more options for finding quality care at local facilities that will keep them healthy without breaking the bank,” Kilmer said. “At the same time, it rewards healthcare providers who are focused on improving the quality of care and putting their patients first.”