Healthcare Insights
Top 25 ACOs by patient population
The United States spends more on healthcare than any other high-income country but has the worst health outcomes overall. In 2021, the U.S. spent 18.3% of its GDP on healthcare consumption, nearly twice as much as peer nations. Yet Americans still live shorter, less healthy lives.
There is no easy solution to this problem, but it’s one that healthcare providers are working to address through value-based care. Under value-based care models, reimbursement is linked to health outcomes. These models also place more emphasis on managing patient populations across the continuum of care using accountable care organizations (ACOs).
What are accountable care organizations (ACOs)?
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are formal groups of physicians, hospitals, or other care providers that voluntarily work together to deliver coordinated care to a defined population of patients. ACOs are a key part of the move toward value-based care.
ACOs aim to ensure that patients—especially those living with chronic conditions—receive the appropriate care they need when they need it, while preventing unnecessary duplication of services, medical errors, and expenses.
Looking for a list of the largest ACOs in the U.S. ranked by patient population? We’ve compiled a list of the top 25 ACOs in the U.S. according to their total patient population.
| Rank | ACO name | ACO type | State | Patient population | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TMA PracticeEdge (Texas Medical Association - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas ACO) | Commercial ACO | TX | 5,000,000 | Explore |
| 2 | Aetna - Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) ACO | Commercial ACO | PA | 1,400,000 | Explore |
| 3 | Aetna - Carilion Clinic ACO | Commercial ACO | VA | 1,000,000 | Explore |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Health Alliance | FL | 750,000 | Explore | |
| 5 | Capital Bluecross - Heritage Medical Group ACO | Commercial ACO | PA | 700,000 | Explore |
| 6 | Anthem Blue Cross of California - Healthcare Partners ACO | Commercial ACO | CA | 675,000 | Explore |
| 7 | Aetna - Riverside Health System ACO | Commercial ACO | VA | 500,000 | Explore |
| 8 | Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey - Partners in Care ACO | Commercial ACO | NJ | 500,000 | Explore |
| 9 | Aetna - Virtual Medical Group ACO | Commercial ACO | NJ | 400,000 | Explore |
| 10 | Advocatecare ACO | Commercial ACO | IL | 375,000 | Explore |
| 11 | BCBS Illinois - Advocate Physician Partners Accountable Care | Commercial ACO | IL | 375,000 | Explore |
| 12 | BCBS Arizona - Banner Health Network ACO | Commercial ACO | AZ | 350,000 | Explore |
| 13 | Cigna - Banner Health Network ACO | Commercial ACO | AZ | 350,000 | Explore |
| 14 | UnitedHealthcare - Seton Health Alliance ACO | Commercial ACO | TX | 320,000 | Explore |
| 15 | Partners for Kids ACO | Medicaid ACO | OH | 300,000 | Explore |
| 16 | HealthPartners - Northwest Metro Alliance | Commercial ACO | MN | 300,000 | Explore |
| 17 | Blue Shield of California - EPIC ACO | Commercial ACO | CA | 273,000 | Explore |
| 18 | University Hospitals - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield ACO | Commercial ACO | OH | 270,000 | Explore |
| 19 | Cigna - DeKalb Physicians Health Organization | Commercial ACO | GA | 250,000 | Explore |
| 20 | Cigna - Westmed Medical Group ACO | Commercial ACO | NY | 237,000 | Explore |
| 21 | OptumCare - North American Medical Management California ACO | Commercial ACO | CA | 229,000 | Explore |
| 22 | Rainbow Care Connection | Commercial ACO | OH | 200,000 | Explore |
| 23 | Humana - John Muir Health ACO | Commercial ACO | CA | 200,000 | Explore |
| 24 | Health Choice Utah | Medicaid ACO | UT | 200,000 | Explore |
| 25 | University Hospitals Coordinated Care (AKA Aetna - University Hospitals ACO) | Commercial ACO | OH | 181,500 | Explore |
Fig 1. Data from the Definitive Healthcare ConnectedCareView product. ACO data is sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and proprietary research. Data accessed August 2023.
Which ACO has the largest patient population?
TMA PracticeEdge, a commercial ACO based in Austin, TX, has the highest patient population at 5 million. Aetna-Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has a patient population of 1.4 million and Aetna – Carilion Clinic, a commercial ACO based out of Roanoke, VA, has a population of 1 million patients.
The top 25 ACOs by patient population on the list represent more than 15 million patients with an average population of 613,420 patient each. Of the top 25, 22 are commercial ACOs and two are Medicaid ACOs.
What are the different types of ACOs?
ACOs cover patients who are covered by different types of healthcare payors. The main types of ACOs are:
- Commercial ACOs: usually provider groups establishing an accountable care payment model with a non-government payer
- Medicaid ACOs: aligns providers and payors incentives with a focus on value for a Medicaid population
- Medicare Shared Savings Program: requires measurement and improvement in quality and an annual certification process
Learn more
Healthcare Insights are developed with healthcare commercial intelligence from the Definitive Healthcare platform. Want even more insights? Start a free trial today and get access to the latest healthcare commercial intelligence on hospitals, physician groups, ACOs, and other providers.
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