Big win for Seton’s Accountable Care Organization

Seton Accountable Care Organization, Inc. (Seton ACO) produced more than $10 million in savings last year for the federal government's Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), performing in the top quartile of all ACOs nationally.

Seton ACO manages a Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries in the Austin metropolitan area. Its partners in the program include Austin Regional Clinic, Capital Medical Clinic and Lone Star Circle of Care. The Medicare Shared Savings Program was designed to facilitate coordinated care among healthcare providers to improve the quality of care and reduce the growth in healthcare costs.

Savings are achieved when an ACO delivers care to Medicare beneficiaries at a cost lower than the “benchmark” assigned to it by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Seton ACO had the lowest benchmark among other ACOs in Texas that achieved shared savings. While operating under this constraint, Seton ACO’s savings rate basis of over 5% was nearly double that of those same Texas ACOs.

Cost savings and achievements in quality of care

In 2018, Seton ACO's service to 20,673 beneficiaries in the MSSP program produced $10,167,307 in cost savings (as measured by CMS)—an increase of nearly 24% from savings achieved in 2017. Also noteworthy is that since the program's inception in 2014, Seton ACO has generated over $38 million in savings for MSSP.

Seton ACO's 2018 quality score of nearly 90% reflects the high rankings it received in the quality of communication between healthcare providers and patients, and overall patient satisfaction with Seton ACO providers.

For the benefit of the patients and families we serve

As noted by Samson Jesudass, MD, MBA, Chief Clinical Officer of Ascension Texas’ healthcare network:

"The work of an accountable care organization is not easy. This innovative approach to healthcare requires patience and diligence. I am very pleased that in doing this work, Seton ACO has repeatedly demonstrated significant success for the benefit of the patients and families we serve. We are grateful for the strong relationships we have with our Practice Partners to make this a reality."

Further acknowledgement of Seton ACO’s accomplishments come from its medical director, Tom Caven MD:

“Seton Health Alliance is one of the most effective AC’s in the country. We are truly proving the quality and value of care that our network of providers delivers. We work better together.”