Doug Hastings, Chair of the Board of Directors and a Member of the Firm in the Health Care and Life Sciences practice in the Washington, D.C., office was interviewed for an article about the federal health reform law and its impact on ACOs.
The article discussed how ACOs work and how to effectively implement them around the country. Hastings stated that the most important component of the federal health care reform law impacting ACOs is the Medicare Shared Savings Program, slated for a 2012 startup.
Hastings continued to state that while the law will accelerate the growth of ACOs, it does not resolve long-standing legal issues that have constrained tighter relationships between physicians and hospitals. "Parties need to be mindful of the antitrust and fraud and abuse laws."