News Release
November 8, 2024

NAACOS Calls for Extension of ACO REACH After Record Savings Reported

Attributed to Aisha Pittman, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs of the National Association of ACOs

“NAACOS congratulates ACO REACH Model participants for their exceptional performance in 2023. Through their commitment to improving patient care and driving efficiencies, 132 ACOs collectively generated $1.6 billion in gross savings and $695 million in net savings after accounting for shared savings and losses. Overall, 73 percent of ACOs earned savings, demonstrating the model’s effectiveness. ACOs were able to reinvest $948 million in savings to provide better patient care leading to improved quality scores between 2022 and 2023.

“Despite the lack of opportunities for new ACOS to join, the ACO REACH Model has continued to grow in the number of participating clinicians, with more than 173,000 participating in 2024. This growth, coupled with strong performance, highlights the value in ACO REACH empowering clinicians to deliver more innovative care for traditional Medicare patients. For example, ACO REACH allows providers to offer benefits to traditional Medicare beneficiaries not otherwise allowed like cost sharing waivers, chronic disease management rewards, and more flexible care in the home. 

“NAACOS urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that high-performing clinicians in the ACO REACH Model are provided a clear and predictable pathway forward. Given the model’s proven success, we strongly encourage CMS to extend ACO REACH beyond its current expiration date of 2026, while continuing to refine and develop new total cost of care models that will drive long-term improvements in the quality and affordability of care.”