The Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Certification Program
Accelerating care delivery transformation and promoting a high quality, efficient health system.
See publications and presentations related to the ACO certification program.
The purpose of the HPC's ACO certification program is to complement existing local and national care transformation and payment reform efforts, encourage value-based care delivery, and promote investments by all payers in high-quality and cost-effective care across the continuum. The HPC’s ACO Certification program also complements its PCMH Certification program.
Since its inception in 2017, the ACO Certification program has established all-payer standards for ACO care delivery and provided transparent information to the public on ACO structures and operations. For the most recent certification cycle, the HPC certified seventeen ACOs that collectively represent more than three million attributed commercial, Medicare, and MassHealth patients in the Commonwealth. Certification is effective for a term of two years. Questions about the ACO Certification program may be sent to [email protected].
Each certification cycle is a rich source of information, profiles, briefs, and webinars that provide valuable insights into how ACOs are structured and operating in the Commonwealth. Those resources – as well as lists of all ACOs certified during the period – are available below.
Since the certification program launched, the HPC has offered complementary programs, technical assistance, and events for certified ACOs. Learn more about other ACO initiatives. Learn more about other ACO initiatives.
ACO Learning, Equity, and Patient-Centeredness (LEAP)
The LEAP standards for HPC ACO Certification are designed to allow for a variety of ACO approaches to meeting core principles consistent with the “Learning Health System” framework developed by the National Academy of Medicine. This approach focuses on the ACO model as a catalyst for learning and improvement, recognizing ACO structures, processes, and approaches conducive to learning and improvement over time.
For the 2026-2027 certification cycle, the criteria have been reordered and modified slightly to improve the clarity and flow of the application. In addition, the HPC has escalated the requirements in the health equity component, in line with expectations that ACOs will demonstrate their progress over time in advancing health equity.