Accountable care organizations (ACOs)

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) help your doctors and other providers offer the care you need, when you need it. The goal is to organize your care to help you get the best care possible. Optum is proud to be part of ACOs.

ACOs help coordinate your health care. This means that everyone on your health care team shares information and works together. The focus is on helping you get the right care at the right time. This also helps keep medical mistakes and unneeded services from happening.

This program helps meet the needs of select Anthem PPO health plan patients. Learn more about Anthem PPO health plans.

This program offers special Optum care services to certain Cigna PPO health plan patients. Learn more about Cigna Collaborative Care.

This program from UnitedHealthcare connects its PPO health plan patients to coordinated care programs and services from Optum. There is no extra cost for this. 

The Shared Savings Program  is the main Medicare ACO program. As of January 2022, there are almost 500 Medicare ACOs nationwide. They are expected to serve more than 11 million patients with Medicare in 2022.* 

The goal of Medicare ACOs is to make sure that people with Medicare get the right care at the right time. 

All ACOs must file a public report every year. The information it includes:

• Helps patients make informed choices 
• Gives feedback to health care providers and stakeholders
• Helps improve the quality of care and lower its cost
• Makes sure that Optum California ACO is meeting program guidelines

Learn more about the Optum California ACO. 

*CMS.gov. Medicare Shared Savings Program Continues to Grow and Deliver High-Quality, Person-Centered Care Through Accountable Care Organizations. Posted January 26, 2022. Last accessed February 8, 2022.

For general questions or more information about ACOs, please visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.