title: Encouraging Competition and Cooperation: The Affordable Care Act's Contradiction?
abstract: This introductory essay to JHPPL's special issue on accountable care organizations (ACOs) presents the broader themes addressed in the issue, including (1) a central tension between cooperation versus competition in health care markets with regard to how to bring about improved quality, lower costs, and better access; (2) US regulatory policy - whether it will be able to achieve the appropriate balance in health care markets under which ACOs could realize expected outcomes; and (3) ACO realities - whether ACOs will be able to overcome or further embed existing inequities in US health care markets.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago.
authors.forename: Colleen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Grogan
mesh_terms: D060866:Accountable Care Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D016363:Antitrust Laws; D003363:Cost Control; D004465:Economic Competition / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D058991:Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D057766:Policy; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States
keywords: Affordable Care Act (ACA); accountable care organizations (ACOs); antitrust; competition; cooperation