Fallon, Reliant, UMass Memorial tapped for MassHealth ACOs

Photo | Timothy Doyle UMass Memorial Medical Center's University campus, which is one of the hospitals in the UMass Memorial Health system.

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By Monica Benevides

Worcester healthcare providers UMass Memorial Health and Reliant Medical Group, along with insurer Fallon Health, have been selected to four of the 17 MassHealth accountable care organizations, meaning they will be responsible for quality, cost, and member experience for MassHealth participants.

ACOs is a relatively new concept meant to help control rising healthcare costs by having providers and insurers partner together to keep entire populations healthy, rather than relying on the traditional American healthcare method of only treating people when they are sick.

“Through the 2018 health care delivery restructuring, MassHealth established a nation-leading accountable care model that integrates physical health, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports to address each member's unique health care needs,” Amanda Cassel Kraft, assistant secretary for MassHealth, said in a Thursday press release. “MassHealth looks forward to our partnership with the selected ACOs to deliver high-quality care and close health disparities for our members.”

MassHealth has 1.2 million members. It was initially implemented the ACO program in 2018, and the current cohort runs through April 1.

In the ACOs announced Thursday, Fallon will partner on three ACOs, one each with Reliant, Atrius Health of Newton, and Health Collaborative of the Berkshires. UMass Memorial Health will partner with Tufts Health Public Plans in Watertown in another ACO.