Impact of Provider Participation in ACO Programs on Preventive Care Services, Patient Experiences, and Health Care Expenditures in US Adults Aged 18-64

Background:Little is known about the impact of accountable care organization (ACO) on US adults aged 18-64.Objectives:To examine whether having a usual source of care (USC) provider participating in an ACO affects receipt of preventive care services, patient experiences, and health care expenditures among nonelderly Americans.Research Design:A cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 Medical Organizations Survey linked with the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.Subjects:Survey respondents aged 18-64 with an identified USC and continuous health insurance coverage during 2015.Measures:Preventative care services (routine checkup, flu vaccination, and cancer screening), patient experiences with health care (access to care, interaction quality with providers, and global satisfaction), and health care expenditures (total and out-of-pocket expenditures) for respondents with USC by ACO and non-ACO provider groups.Results:Among 1563, nonelderly Americans having a USC, we found that nearly 62.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 58.6%-66.7%; representing 15,722,208 Americans] were cared for by ACO providers. Our analysis showed no significant differences in preventive care services or patient experiences between ACO and non-ACO groups. Adjusted mean total health expenditures were slightly higher for the ACO than non-ACO group [$7016 (95% CI, $4949-$9914) vs. $6796 (95% CI, $4724-$9892)]; however, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.250).Conclusions:Our findings suggest that having a USC provider participating in an ACO is not associated with preventive care services use, patient experiences, or health care expenditures among a nonelderly population.