If your doctor chooses to participate in an ACO, you will be notified.
Or, ask your doctor or healthcare provider if he or she is participating in a Medicare ACO. For general information on ACOs, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day/7 days a week. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
Over time, if you see a doctor participating in an ACO you may notice that:
- You don’t have to fill out as many medical forms that ask for the same information
- The healthcare providers that you see all know what is going on with your health because they communicate with each other
You will continue to receive the same rights enjoyed by all people with Medicare. To help you get the best-coordinated care, Medicare will share information about your medical background with your doctor’s ACO, including medical conditions, prescriptions, and visits to the doctor. This is important to help the ACO keep up with your medical needs and track how well the ACO is doing to keep you healthy and helping you get the right care.
The group of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers together in the ACO will be able to read your medical records, along with other staff authorized to help coordinate your care.
The privacy and security of your medical information is protected by Federal law. Contact your doctor’s office for more information about how they protect your medical information, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day/7days a week. TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
When your health care providers have access to your health information and are better able to share that information with one another, they can give you better, more coordinated care. Each of your health care providers will not only know about the health issues that they have treated, they will have a more complete picture of your health through communicating with your other health care providers.
For additional information about ACOs, you can do the following:
- Visit http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/ACO/index.html
- Visit http://www.medicare.gov/acos.html/
- Speak with your doctor
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day/7days a week (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048)