New healthcare payment models set up under the Affordable Care Act, including accountable care organizations (ACOs) and bundled payment initiatives, are designed to reward providers for reducing healthcare costs while maintaining quality patient care. The aim is to reduce costs through greater cooperation and coordination among providers. This is a laudable goal, supported by the medical technology industry. However, the new incentives could also have the inadvertent effect of slowing medical progress and denying patients access to future medical innovations.
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