ACO Coalition Meeting to Feature Leapfrog's Leah Binder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 3, 2015

PLAINSBORO, N.J.—Leah Binder, MA, MGA, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group and frequently listed among the most influential leaders in healthcare, will offer the keynote address at the upcoming meeting of the ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, to take place October 15-16, 2015, in Palm Harbor, Florida, at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club. For an agenda and registration, visit http://www.ajmc.com/acocoalition/fall15.

The ACO Coalition, an initiative of The American Journal of Managed Care, is completing its second year of guiding accountable care organizations through the transition to reimbursement systems that reward value instead of volume.

Binder leads an organization dedicated to promoting transparency and safety among hospitals; on her watch, Leapfrog developed its Hospital Safety Score, which assigns letter grades to more than 2,500 hospitals, based on a peer-reviewed analysis by patient safety experts. A frequent contributor to Forbes, Binder commented on the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on consumer behavior in, “Value-Based Purchasing Versus Consumerism: Navigating the Riptide,” which appeared in The American Journal of Accountable Care (AJAC) in March 2015. AJAC is the publication of the AJMC franchise devoted to research and commentary on new payment models and is distributed to all Coalition members.

The ACO Coalition fall meeting will feature several sessions on the role of technology in improving value-based care delivery, including the use of the electronic medical record to improve workflow. Sessions on specialty pharmacy and ACO readiness will help attendees balance the challenges of improving care and controlling costs. A key session will cover the use of the value-based payment modifier for 2015-2017.

As always, the Coalition features a mix of speakers and workshops where participants can discuss real-world problems through case studies. Workshop topics include: getting the maximum value from medications, specialty pharmacy as an extension of the ACO, and time-driven, activity-based costing. Gatherings feature an evening reception and ample time for networking with fellow attendees.

Brian Haug, president of The American Journal of Managed Care, noted that recent results from CMS showed that ACO financial performance improves over time. “Experience counts, so if you are a new ACO, this is the place to learn from others who have been working with new payment models for a while,” Haug said. “There is no better opportunity to gain hands-on information from others who have been there, whether your organization is brand-new or in its third year.”

About the ACO Coalition

As ACOs and other emerging delivery and payment models evolve and move away from traditional fee-for-service system models toward cost-effective and value-based care, the need to understand how these models will evolve is critical to building long-term strategic solutions. The mission of the ACO Coalition is to bring together a diverse group of key stakeholders, including ACO providers and leaders, payers, IDNs, retail and specialty pharmacy, academia, national quality organizations, patient advocacy, employers and pharmaceutical manufacturers to work collaboratively to build value and improve the quality and overall outcomes of patient care. Coalition members share ideas and best practices through live meetings, and Web-based interactive sessions. Distinguishing features are the Coalition’s access to leading experts and its small workshops that allow creative problem-solving. To learn more, click here.

CONTACT: Nicole Beagin (609) 716-7777 x 131

nbeagin@ajmc.com

www.ajmc.com