Houston Methodist Coordinated Care ACO achieves Medicare ACO national recognition by improving quality and reducing costs to achieve record savings
Houston Methodist Coordinated Care (HMCC) has reached new heights for the program year 2024, earning national acclaim for its exceptional performance in quality and cost savings.
The Accountable Care Organization (ACO), launched in 2017 under the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), achieved one of the highest quality performance scores nationally while also saving more costs per patient than any other academic medical center in the country in 2024.
HMCC ACO saved $1,021 per patient across 48,781 assigned Medicare beneficiaries, significantly outperforming the national average of $651 savings per patient. In addition, HMCC earned $50.4 million in shared savings, ranking No. 11 nationally out of 476 MSSP ACOs. HMCC ACO achieved $68.5 million in CMS Medicare gross savings with a quality performance score of 95.6, placing it in the top 2% nationally.
“This achievement is an example of the commitment of the HMCC ACO multi-disciplinary care teams in collaboration with over 300 Primary Care physicians delivering unparalleled care to our patients, who are at the center of everything we do,” said Dr. Julia Andrieni, president and CEO, HMCC ACO.
Dr. Andrieni said that Houston Methodist is dedicated to the highest quality of care by preventing unnecessary hospital admissions/readmissions and emergency room visits and coordinating individual care plans with patient education and follow-up.
“As we approach nearly a decade of Medicare ACO operations, this recognition demonstrates the power of data analytics combined with coordinated care to improve patients’ experiences and quality outcomes while reducing total cost of care,” Andrieni said.
Since its inception, HMCC ACO has generated $223 million in CMS Medicare gross cost savings and $164 million in HMCC ACO earned savings, demonstrating the long-term impact of coordinated care on both cost reduction and quality improvement.
Andrieni noted that HMCC ACO continues to reinvest in innovative and impactful initiatives that benefit Medicare beneficiaries in the communities it serves.