Participation in Accountable Care Organizations Among Hospitals Offering Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) can potentially improve value in behavioral health care. However, little is known about the likelihood of ACO participation among hospitals with behavioral health services. The authors explore statistical predictors of ACO participation among hospitals, particularly among those offering behavioral health services. After adjusting for other hospital characteristics, the analysis found that behavioral health specialty hospitals were less likely to participate in an ACO and general medical-surgical hospitals with behavioral health services were more likely to participate, compared with general medical-surgical hospitals without behavioral health services. A better understanding is needed of barriers to ACO participation within behavioral health specialty hospitals and how ACO participation may affect quality of behavioral health care.