Impact of Accountable Care Organizations on Psoriasis Care

Abstract

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services implemented the groundwork for health care providers to use integrated delivery models, such as accountable care organizations, which are designed to improve quality of care while decreasing costs. The objective of these units is to promote health maintenance through primary care services and to avoid inpatient hospitalizations. This strategy may not account for the role of specialty services, like dermatology, that are primarily conducted in an outpatient setting. Psoriatic patients, who are regularly seen in dermatology clinics, represent a model patient cohort with a chronic, complex, and debilitating skin disorder that incurs significant annual costs. Accountable care organizations can hinder appropriate referrals for these at-risk patients, leading to greater morbidity and possibly even greater costs. While rising health care costs make reforms necessary, it is crucial that the impact of accountable care organizations across all facets of healthcare be examined to be effective.