The Resource Center has joined the Accountable Care Coalition of Greater New York, a care coordination program for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.

The Accountable Care Coalition of Greater New York is an accountable care organization. An accountable care organization is a health care organization characterized by a payment and care delivery model that seeks to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for an assigned population of patients. A group of coordinated health care providers forms an accountable care organization, which then provides care to a group of patients. Accountable care organizations are accountable to the patients and the third-party payer for the quality, appropriateness and efficiency of the health care provided. Beneficiaries seeing health care providers in accountable care organizations have the freedom to choose doctors inside or outside of the accountable care organization.

Accountable care organizations share with Medicare any savings generated from lowering the growth in health care costs when they meet standards for high-quality care. Accountable care organizations must meet quality standards to ensure that savings are achieved through improving care coordination and providing care that is appropriate, safe and timely. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluate accountable care organization quality performance using 33 quality measures on patient and caregiver experience of care; care coordination and patient safety; appropriate use of preventive health services; and improved care for at-risk populations.

The Resource Center sought to join the Accountable Care Coalition of Greater New York because the ACCGNY is one of the nation’s first accountable care organizations to focus on the needs of adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. In addition to providing a range of health and counseling services that are available to anyone in the community, The Resource Center has been supporting people with developmental disabilities for more than 50 years.

“Being invited to join the Accountable Care Coalition of Greater New York is indicative of the key position The Resource Center occupies in the evolving environment of health care reform as it pertains to supporting people with disabilities,” said Paul Cesana, The Resource Center’s executive director.

He added that joining the ACCGNY is in alignment with The Resource Center’s STARS health care model. STARS (System Transformation with Accountability, Results and Satisfaction) is a holistic care model that addresses each person’s needs in a comprehensive way to ensure that The Resource Center’s various service systems and care providers focus on a person’s total well being in the areas of basic needs, family stability, physical health, mental wellness and employment/community involvement.

The Resource Center is one of 15 organizations across New York State that are partners in the Accountable Care Coalition of Greater New York.