The Interplay Between Competition and Clinical Integration: Why the Antitrust Agencies Care About Medical Care Delivery Styles

The Affordable Care Act provides for the formation of Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”). These ACOs will be composed of health care providers (hospitals and physicians) that will work together to manage and coordinate care for Medicare beneficiaries. Through this coordination of care-sometimes referred to as clinical integration-Medicare hopes that ACOs will lead to lower costs and increased quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.

Medicare, ho