Physicians looking to benefit financially from participating in an accountable care organization (ACO) may be disheartened by a recent survey from Alpharetta, Ga.-based staffing firm Jackson Healthcare.
 
The survey of 3,500 doctors found that roughly two-thirds of those who participated in an ACO last year were not profiting from the arrangement, either from a bonus or shared savings agreement, according to a report by Medical Economics. Close to 20% said they weren’t sure if they’d benefited financially, and 14% said they had.
 
Limitations of the survey include the possibility that because ACOs are relatively new, financial benefits may have yet to accrue, Medical Economics notes. Also, doctors who responded were self-selected from a group of about 225,000 doctors who received the survey via e-mail. About 25% of those respondents said they were currently participating in an ACO.
 
Turn to Part B News for more on how physician compensation is changing under ACOs.