For Beneficiaries
What is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO)?
Healthcare works best when everyone involved — patients, providers, care teams, and facilities — are connected and working toward the same goal: better health. That’s the idea behind an accountable care organization (ACO).
An ACO is a group of healthcare providers who work together to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time, focusing on improving health outcomes and making care more coordinated and effective. Instead of just treating illness when it happens, an ACO focuses on prevention, communication, and proactive care.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expanding ACO programs to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries can benefit from this approach by 2030. By better- coordinating care, ACOs help create a more sustainable healthcare system so patients can count on high-quality care for years to come.
Sound Long-Term Care Management (SLTCM): An ACO built for your needs
How participation works for patients
When one of your providers chooses to participate in our ACO, it unlocks additional benefits and an extra layer of service and support for their patients. You can access these extra services while keeping all of the benefits and freedom you already have through your existing Medicare coverage. That means:
You remain in Original Medicare.
You can still go to any doctor, hospital, or healthcare provider that accepts Original Medicare.
You are still entitled to all the same services, benefits, and protections you get from your Original Medicare.
If you would like to enjoy the extra benefits available through our ACO, it won't change your Medicare coverage or limit your options. Instead, you'll have all the coverage you've come to trust, plus additional support, better care coordination, and proactive services — with no added out-of-pocket costs.
Extra support for long-term care patients
SLTCM is part of Sound Physicians , a medical group with over 20 years of experience in acute and post-acute care. Our ACO includes advanced technology, processes, and programs developed through years of experience to help support your healthcare team.
The benefits listed below are available to you in addition to those covered under Original Medicare, offering extra layers of support to help you stay connected, receive timely interventions, and navigate your care with confidence.
ACO Patient Benefits
Trusted neighborhood providers
Our ACO includes the local healthcare providers you know and trust, including primary care and specialty providers and long-term care and assisted living facilities.
Telemedicine designed for you
As a participant in our ACO, your residential facility may have access to our exclusive telemedicine platform for expert support when primary care teams are unavailable during evenings, weekends, and holidays. This service is tailored for long-term care residents, providing peace of mind and continual access to high-quality care.
Coordinated care programs
Many long-term care patients live with chronic conditions that can lead to frequent hospitalizations. Our care coordination programs help you and your care team manage these conditions from where you are, helping prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and readmissions.
Centralized, secure data
Providers within our ACO have secure access to central, up-to-date medical records, allowing them to make well-informed decisions about your care. This means less paperwork, fewer repeated questions, and more time focused on what matters — your health.
Case managers
Dedicated care coordinators may be available to follow your health and check in regularly to help you maintain the best health and quality of life you can while also heading off potential complications.
Have questions? We can help.
Want to learn more? Click here to read the official Medicare beneficiary letter, or email our team sltcmaco@soundphysicians.com .
We’re happy to answer your questions about our ACO and how we benefit patients and their caregivers.