— CMS Quality Payment Program: ACOs & APMs
Accelerate Performance. Maximize Savings. Transform Care.
Practical guidance for ACOs, APM participants, and the vendors who support them — navigating QP status, shared savings, and the shift toward ACO LEAD, without losing focus on patient care.
ACO Service Support
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Quality Reporting and Improvement
CMS ties shared savings eligibility to quality measure performance and demonstrated patient outcomes. We manage measure selection, ongoing tracking, and improvement initiatives so your ACO consistently meets or exceeds CMS benchmarks.
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Promoting Interoperability
ACOs must demonstrate health information exchange, patient engagement, and data sharing through certified EHR technology. We handle the documentation and reporting so your ACO stays fully compliant and captures every available bonus.
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Security Risk Assessment (SRA)
SRAs are mandatory for Promoting Interoperability attestation. Our HIPAA-compliant team performs and documents your SRA, so you're always audit-ready.
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SAFER Guides for ACOs
Part of Promoting Interoperability, CMS requires ACOs to complete SAFER Guide self-assessments to identify and manage EHR-related safety risks. We lead your team through each guide and track remediation so risks don't linger unaddressed.
Monthly ACO & APM Support
For ACOs and APM participants who want this handled continuously rather than project by project:
Monthly check-ins on quality measure performance and shared savings trajectory
Ongoing Promoting Interoperability documentation and EHR data-sharing support
Tracking of your APM/QP status and Advanced APM participation thresholds throughout the year
Mid-year benchmark review against CMS quality and cost targets
Practice training for accurate and appropriate HCC capture
Bi-weekly Q4 Quality Measure Gap-Closure Practice Check-ins
Direct access to your dedicated ACO & APM specialist for policy questions as they come up
SAFER Guide assessment and SRA included annually for each practice that needs them
Prefer help with just one piece — a single SRA, a SAFER Guide assessment, or a quality reporting cycle? Use the button below instead.
The Benefit of Our Expert Support
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Maximize Shared Savings
Higher performance on quality and interoperability can unlock larger savings pools.
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Protect Public Reputation
ACO metrics are reported publicly. Consistent compliance boosts your standing with CMS, payers, and patients.
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Minimize Regulatory Risk
Underreporting or compliance lapses can result in forfeited incentives, penalties, or expulsion from the program.
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Capitalize on Strategic Growth
Successful ACOs leverage strong performance for partnerships and favorable payer contracts.
Free ACO Resources
Our ACO Provider Engagement Toolkit
A comprehensive toolkit from Chirpy Bird that details proven strategies for engaging healthcare providers within an ACO model, including step-by-step guides, sample communications, and best practices for boosting participation and improving patient outcomes.
Navigating the Obstacles in eCQM Reporting for ACOs
This infographic highlights the complexities in aggregating electronic clinical quality measure (eCQMs) for an accountable care organization.
Expert Blogs for ACOs
The latest strategies and insights for thriving under value-based care. Access the blogs now.
10 Frequently Asked Questions about ACOs
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An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals, and healthcare providers who collaborate to deliver coordinated, high-quality care to Medicare patients, aiming to improve outcomes and lower costs
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It’s a CMS program where ACOs that lower growth in healthcare costs while meeting performance standards on quality of care are eligible to share in savings achieved for Medicare
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ACOs may include physicians, hospitals, clinics, and specialists. Organizations must work together to coordinate patients’ care, track quality metrics, and be accountable for cost and outcomes
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ACOs can receive a portion of the savings if they reduce costs and maintain or improve quality. Some models also include shared risk, where the ACO is responsible for losses if costs rise or quality measures are missed
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Quality is measured across domains such as patient safety, care coordination, preventive health, at-risk population management, and patient/caregiver experience
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Promoting Interoperability focuses on using certified EHR technology to share information securely, engage patients, and improve care coordination across the ACO participants.
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Yes. Regular Security Risk Assessments and completion of SAFER Guides are required to demonstrate compliance for the Promoting Interoperability program and overall data safety.
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Failing to meet requirements could mean forfeiture of shared savings, exposure to financial penalties, or possible removal from the ACO program
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Some ACO models are “one-sided,” sharing only in savings, while others are “two-sided,” with potential for shared savings and losses depending on cost and quality performance
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Joining an ACO can enable greater care coordination, access to bonus/shared savings, improved quality scores, and enhanced reputation among patients and payers