Accountable Care Organizations and Occupational Therapy

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are organized networks or systems that provide services to Medicare beneficiaries under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 with an emphasis on chronic care management. ACOs were instituted under Medicare to achieve value-based purchasing as opposed to simply providing high-volume, fee-for-service care. ACOs must reduce annual care expenditures through Medicare-covered services. Occupational therapy services often play a role along the care continuum of an ACO. This article examines some of the opportunities for occupational therapy to contribute to ACO quality outcomes and value-based care and considers some barriers for full utilization of occupational therapy practitioners in alternative payment models. Evidence-based and client-centered care provided by occupational therapy practitioners can result in increased inclusion of occupational therapy as a valued component of ACOs and other value-based service models.