NAACOS 2025
NAACOS 2025 Spring Conference Recap:
3 Perspectives That Prove the Future of ACOs Is Already Here
NAACOs 2025 conference once again brought big ideas. But this spring, it brought something else: urgency.
Urgency to improve quality reporting.
Urgency to adapt to CMS changes.
Urgency to build systems that scale for Medicare’s future.
The AaNeel team showed up ready to listen, learn, and share—and we walked away with a renewed focus and sharper direction. What follows are three takeaways from three different corners of our team—plus a bonus insight that reminded us all why people still matter most.
1. The Product Perspective
A) eCQMs, FHIR, and Infrastructure Planning
The big story in quality reporting? It’s not just what you submit—it’s how you build the process.
“If you’re treating eCQM like a reporting requirement, you’re already behind. The teams getting this right are treating it like infrastructure.” – Mehul Patelia, Product Manager
B) eCQMs Are a Long Game—Plan Accordingly
The best-performing organizations aren’t scrambling in Q4. They’ve been building for a year or more. Here’s what those success stories have in common:
- A dedicated roadmap that spans 12–24 months
- A cross-functional team (DBAs, ETL specialists, analysts, QA engineers)
- A governance structure that aligns clinical, technical, and regulatory needs
And a big technical shift? CMS now allows eCQM submission in JSON, not just QRDA. That means more flexibility—but also a higher bar for precision.
C) Pre-Authorization via FHIR Is Gaining Ground
One standout session showed how FHIR is being used in live pre-auth workflows:
- Request is initiated
- System checks if pre-auth is required
- Only the necessary data is pulled
- Real-time status is delivered
This process simplifies back-and-forth, shortens turnaround time, and finally brings standardization to a space that’s long needed it.
D) Medicare’s Future Is Now
With the U.S. population aging fast, Medicare isn’t a future concern—it’s a right-now priority. ACOs must prepare for a larger, more diverse population by investing in digital tools that support preventive care, remote engagement, and equitable access.
2. The Client Strategy Perspective
A) Partnerships Over Products
“NAACOS isn’t just about policies. It’s about people—learning from each other, pushing the limits, and building something better together.” — Neel Patel, Account Manager
This year’s conversations made one thing crystal clear: ACOs don’t want another vendor. They want a strategic partner. One who listens, iterates, and grows with them.
B) What do your customers need?
Our conversations at the booth kept coming back to the same needs:
- Tools that integrate cleanly with existing workflows
- Analytics that explain risk, not just flag it
- Real-time insight, not post-event report
At AaNeel, our clients already know this is how we operate. But it was reaffirming to see how much the industry is leaning in that direction—and how ready we are to meet that moment.
3. The Engineering Perspective
A) AI, FHIR, and Building for What’s Next
“This wasn’t a conference about the future of healthcare tech. It was about the tech that’s already shaping care today.” — Dipen Dholakiya, Software Engineer Team Lead
B) Agentic AI Is Already Changing Workflows
Whether it’s powering post-acute follow-ups or surfacing intervention opportunities, agentic AI is no longer theoretical. ACOs are starting to use it to:
- Automate care plan steps
- Enhance case management
- Predict rising-risk patients based on non-clinical signals
Smart tools are no longer “nice to have.” They’re mission-critical.
C) Quality Reporting Is Complex—and FHIR Is the Fix
The alphabet soup of CQMs (eCQMs, MIPS, Medicare) keeps growing. But FHIR is making it all more manageable.
We saw growing emphasis on:
- Integrated quality dashboards
- Near real-time performance tracking
- Tools that embed compliance directly into provider workflows
At AaNeel, we’re committed to building platforms that don’t just comply—but simplify.
D) MSSP vs. ACO REACH: Tech Must Serve Both
More ACOs are layering REACH into MSSP, meaning overlapping populations and differing workflows. We came away more convinced than ever:
Your infrastructure has to be flexible enough to handle both without compromising either.
The Bonus Perspective
The Power of a Strong Team
Due to an unexpected medical emergency, Kelly wasn’t able to attend the conference in person. But she still had something to say:
“I couldn’t be there. But my team showed up—and they didn’t just hold the line, they raised the bar. It reminded me of something we don’t say enough in healthcare: it’s the people who carry your vision that turn it into reality.” — Kelly Hidde, Vice President of Business Strategy
At a conference where conversations often centered on tech, outcomes, and metrics—it was this moment of trust, teamwork, and resilience that stood out most.
Yes, innovation matters. But the strength of your people—and the partners you choose—matters more.
Final Reflection
If NAACOS 2025 reminded us of anything, it’s that the future of value-based care will be built by organizations that can:
- Act fast on complex data
- Lean into emerging standards like FHIR
- Support clinicians without burning them out
- And build teams that don’t break under pressure
AaNeel is proud to stand alongside ACOs doing this hard, important work—and we’re ready to help you do it better.
Want to keep the conversation going?
📅Schedule a demo and let’s talk about how we can help you deliver smarter care with stronger infrastructure.
