Accountable care the journey begins.

In healthcare reform legislation, the concept of accountable care organizations (ACOs) has been deliberately broad. Providers' efforts to develop ACOs are likely to proceed on different paths and at different paces in various parts of the country, and some organizations will move faster than others. In deciding which approach to use, a provider should choose a target market, a service area, and a reimbursement methodology; identify the provider structure; design, develop, enhance, and modify core support elements; and identify patient-related and organizational strategies for improvement.