The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced details regarding the 2026 Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiatives. These initiatives are part of a broader effort to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries while reducing costs.

ACOs are groups of doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who voluntarily come together to provide coordinated high-quality care to their Medicare patients. The goal of coordinated care is to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, receive the right care at the right time, while avoiding