ACO West Virginia, an affiliate of WVU Medicine and the largest accountable care organization (ACO) based in West Virginia, improved care for over 37,000 Medicare beneficiaries in West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania last year.

According to recently released performance data from the federal agency that administers the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), ACO West Virginia saved Medicare over $20 million in 2023.

A market-based solution to fragmented and costly care, ACOs empower local physicians, hospitals, and other providers to work together and take responsibility for improving quality, enhancing patient experience, and keeping care affordable. The MSSP creates incentives for ACOs to invest in transforming care by allowing them to share in the savings they generate after meeting defined quality and cost goals.

Based on its performance in relation to cost, quality, and patient satisfaction targets, ACO West Virginia realized nearly $8 million in shared savings in 2023. This represents the third consecutive year that ACO West Virginia has received a shared savings payment from CMS.

“ACO West Virginia continues to achieve outstanding results. These achievements highlight what clinicians can accomplish when they have the right tools, technologies, and resources to manage their patients’ health inside and outside of the primary care clinic,” Ben Gerber, ACO Board chair for ACO West Virginia and chief strategy officer at the West Virginia University Health System, said. “Population health management is our future, and we are proud to be leaders in enhancing our models of care.”

ACO West Virginia earned a score of 94.10 out of 100 points on quality, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability in the Alternative Payment Model Performance Pathway.

“Our ACO primary care providers and their teams are tackling the most critical health issues affecting West Virginians and the surrounding communities, including mental health, chronic disease, and social risk factors that impact well-being. We are grateful for our clinicians and ACO teams who deliver comprehensive, whole-person care to patients facing chronic and acute conditions, bringing essential, supportive care directly to our communities,” Christopher McCormick, director of population health services at ACO West Virginia and assistant vice president of population health at the WVU Health System, said.

“ACO West Virginia providers work to increase the number of Medicare beneficiaries taking advantage of annual wellness visits, including recommended screenings and preventive care. The ACO also focuses on ensuring smooth patient transitions from the hospital to home or a nursing home, if needed.”

CMS reports the Shared Savings Program yielded more than $3.1 billion in net savings in 2023 — the highest since the program’s inception more than 10 years ago. In addition, ACOs scored better on many quality measures than other types of physician groups and continued to demonstrate quality improvement. These results continue to underscore how important primary care is to the success of the Shared Savings Program.

For more information on ACO West Virginia, visit ACOWV.org.