Health Systems & Hospitals

ATI Helps Health Systems Move from Margin Pressure to Strategic Opportunity

Health systems are navigating a difficult convergence. Medicaid funding is shrinking, uncompensated care is rising, post-acute discharge bottlenecks are straining operations, and ongoing payment and accountability reforms are adding new layers of financial complexity. The systems that come out ahead will be the ones that treat this moment as a strategic inflection point.

The path forward runs through value-based care. That means moving upstream, closer to the source of payment, taking real accountability for total cost of care, and building the partnerships and health plan relationships that create revenue streams more durable than fee-for-service rate negotiations or per-claim payments. ATI brings the policy depth, data capabilities, and payment model experience to help health system leaders make that transition. We were founded on the recognition that pressures land hardest on patients with complex care needs who are hardest to serve well, and we have spent our history at the intersection of Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care, working alongside the people navigating these systems firsthand. ATI has deep expertise in Medicare episode-based and bundled payment models, spanning both voluntary and mandatory programs across acute, post-acute, and surgical care. We help hospitals and accountable care organizations (ACOs) understand what each model means for their organization, prepare a strong response, and act with confidence. We have also helped health systems build and launch provider-led Medicare Advantage (MA) and Special Needs Plans (SNPs) from the ground up.

Our Services TEAM MODEL Resource Center

ATI Services for Health Systems & Hospitals

Financial Sustainability & Payment Strategy

  • Financial modeling of episode-level risk and opportunity under mandatory and voluntary payment models
  • Revenue impact analysis of Medicaid policy changes, including directed payment limits and uncompensated care exposure
  • Performance benchmarking to identify cost and utilization levers
  • Scenario planning support for health systems navigating multiple simultaneous policy pressures

Episodic & Bundled Payment Strategy

  • Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) and Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Expanded (CJR-X) Model readiness assessments and episode-level performance benchmarking against regional peers
  • Post-acute network optimization and partner evaluation for the 30-day and 90-day post-discharge windows
  • Care redesign and implementation support across initial TEAM/CJR-X episodes
  • Strategy and positioning for anticipated TEAM model expansion beyond current episodes

Accountable Care & ACO Strategy

  • ACO application strategy and support for prospective ACOs, including the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs and CMS Innovation Center ACO models such as ACO REACH and Long-term Enhanced ACO Design(LEAD)
  • Support for ACOs transitioning from ACO REACH to LEAD and/or MSSP
  • Specialist integration strategy under CMS-Administered Risk Arrangements (CARA) and other LEAD Model features, such as subcapitated arrangements under Non-Primary Care Capitation (NPCC)
  • Episode-level spending and post-acute utilization analysis to sharpen ACO performance
  • Complex and high-needs population management, including beneficiaries with frailty and long-term care needs

Provider-Led Medicare Advantage & Special Needs Plans

  • Market opportunity and feasibility assessment for provider-led MA plan entry or expansion
  • Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (C-SNP) and Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) strategy, design, and CMS application and Model of Care support
  • Medicaid managed care procurement strategy and state contract development
  • Integration of SNP strategy with existing ACO and value-based care arrangements

Specialist Integration & Care Coordination

  • Specialist engagement strategy for TEAM and Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) participation
  • Episode-level variation analysis to identify specialist-driven cost and quality opportunities
  • Post-acute care partnership development to address discharge bottlenecks and readmission risk
  • Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) CMS and state applications and implementation

Partnership Development & Network Strategy

  • Post-acute network development and optimization for episodic and accountable care
  • Value-based contracting design and negotiation support with payers and post-acute partners
  • Vendor and partner evaluation and RFP support
  • Investment analysis for network expansion and care coordination infrastructure

Rural Health Systems

  • Rural hospital TEAM exposure assessment and strategic options analysis
  • Rural Health Transformation funding strategy, including eligibility assessment and state application engagement
  • Value-based care entry point assessment for rural systems evaluating ACO or bundled payment participation
  • Strategic planning support for rural systems building post-acute and community partnerships

By the Numbers

69%
69% of health systems report operating margins below pre-pandemic period
719
719 hospitals are now required to participate in TEAM, CMS' most significant mandatory bundled payment model in a decade
10Y
CMS Innovation Center's LEAD Model will run for 10 years, making it the longest-running ACO model in the Center’s history, designed to support sustained ACO infrastructure investment
13M
13 million Medicare beneficiaries are currently covered by an ACO or value-based arrangement
100%
ATI-supported health system SNP launch achieved a 100% CMS Model of Care score

Research + Resources for Health Systems

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