Ask your doctor about ACOs
ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals and other providers. They work together to reach common goals, including the following:
- Care that improves health and helps to lower costs
- The right care at the right time
- Care that helps to keep you out of the hospital
Learn more about the Optum East ACO, LLC
FAQs:
What is an accountable care organization and how does it help me?
An ACO is a group of doctors, hospitals and other providers that work together.¹ The goal is to help people with Traditional Medicare patients get high-quality care. Your doctors share information about your care, which helps you get the right care at the right time.
In turn, this helps to:
- Keep you healthy and out of the hospital
- Improve your care and lower costs
Does an ACO help health care providers?
If your care is better and the cost of your care goes down, Medicare saves money. When that happens, the ACO gets a share of those savings.
How do I become an ACO patient?
You don’t sign up for an ACO. If the doctor who offers most of your care participates in the ACO, you’ll be part of that ACO. Your doctor or the ACO should tell you about this and what it means for your care.
As someone with Traditional Medicare, you can see any health care professional who accepts Medicare. This means you can see doctors who are part of ACOs and doctors who are not part of ACOs.
What is the Medicare Shared Savings Program?
The Shared Savings Program is Medicare’s national ACO program. CMS aims to have all Traditional Medicare beneficiaries in an ACO or similar accountable care relationship by 2030. As of January 2025, 53.4% of people with Traditional Medicare are in an accountable care relationship with a provider.²
The goal of Medicare ACOs is to make sure that people with Traditional Medicare get the right care at the right time. All ACOs must post a public report every year.
Want more information on ACOs?
For general questions or more information about Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs, visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
References:
- Not all health care providers participate in a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO. To find out if your doctor or health care provider takes part in this program, ask them.
- CMS.gov. January 26, 2022. Last accessed October 27, 2025.