"Obamacare" responsible for total revamping of health care delivery and cost control.

Let’s be very clear; Obama’s Affordable Care Act is responsible for the upcoming dramatic change in how health care is delivered in this country. Slowing the rising costs would not have happened if not for Obamacare. Period.

Yet in the story below, it’s only mentioned in connection with Medicare, deep within the article.

jsonline: Medicare is encouraging health systems and independent physicians to set up "accountable care organizations" under provisions in the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care reform law.

But really, the health care exchanges were just as responsible for market changes: 

Health systems in eastern Wisconsin are taking the first steps toward revamping the way they are paid, laying the groundwork for head-to-head competition on price and quali­ty as well as sweeping changes in the health insurance market. Aurora Health Care is prom­ising employers guaranteed savings if they offer a health plan that requires employees and their families to use only Aurora hospitals, doctors and other services. But changing the way health systems are paid could help slow the rise in health care costs. It also could result in better care by improving coordination, closely managing patients with chronic conditions and encouraging better adherence to clinical guidelines.

'This is the engine for mak­ing health care better,' said Peter Pruessing, chief execu­tive of Quality Health Solu­tions Inc. Accountable care organiza­tions would be accountable for the cost and quality of care for a defined group of patients. In exchange, physicians, health systems or both would share in any cost savings provided they met specific quality mea­sures. The goal is to give doctors and hospitals a financial in­centive to focus on how they deliver care rather than on revenue.

In many ways, insurance companies may be on the way out.