Hospital Impact
Hospital Impact reports that Hospitals Can Achieve ACO Savings With Reprocessed Devices, by Daniel J. Vukelich, Esq. and B. Chase Matson of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR). For more information on ACOs, please visit accountablecareforum.com and for more information on reprocessing, please visit amdr.org.
ACOs have dominated headlines for the last few weeks–with the conversation swinging wildly from positive to negative to downright bewilderment. Amid the chatter and punditry, one thing is clear: ACOs are no longer the unicorns of healthcare–they are here, signifying that the moment for change in the delivery of healthcare in the United States is right now.
But it’s time for hospital executives to take a breather from the rules and regs, and look to the supply side of the equation. Right now, the medical technology industry is in a unique position to affect change through the buying, selling and distribution of medical devices.
Some supply chain executives and C-level healthcare administrators already know that today, reprocessing is among the most impactful sustainability initiatives employed by U.S. hospitals. Reprocessing helps reduce supply costs and minimize the environmental footprint of the healthcare industry, all while freeing resources to improve the quality of care. If just one or two percent of all medical devices labeled by the manufacturer as single-use were reprocessed, the healthcare industry would save almost $2 billion dollars every year.
With that in mind, the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) submitted comments June 7th in response to the CMS’ proposed ACO rules to implement the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and regulate Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). In short, AMDR believes reprocessed devices can play an important role for ACOs, and the following recommendations, if implemented, will better position hospitals participating in MSSP to achieve their savings goals by providing them with a tangible option to lower costs without compromising quality of care.
Read AMDR’s full comments to CMS on ACOs and the Civil Monetary Penalties Waiver.