Healthcare

The specialty pharmacy marketplace in the US has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The number of specialty pharmacies operating in the US has more than doubled since 2015. US expenditures for specialty drugs have also nearly doubled from $83 billion in 2013 to $157 billion in 2017. Combined with spending on orphan drugs, total US expenditures on specialty pharmaceuticals is now nearly equal the amount spent on traditional medications.^[1],[2]

For those seeking valuation or appraisal services, the varying levels of services offered can often be confusing to navigate. Appraisers/valuators offer many different services to meet the needs of a diverse client base. Confusion in the process of selection can lead clients to select a service based solely on price, only later to discover, as with many things in life, you get what you pay for. 

An accountable care organization (“ACO”) is a healthcare delivery entity characterized by a payment model that facilitates coordination among providers — charged with the care of a specified patient population.

Participation in an ACO is voluntary, and participants must be willing to become accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of the specified population. Commonly, ACOs receive capitated payments based on the size of the patient population served, though other reimbursement models exist. ACO participants are financially incentivized to lower healthcare costs while improving quality as they share in a portion of the excess between total capitated payments and total healthcare costs.