In this most recent ReCon newsletter we discuss the emergence of ACOs in the healthcare marketplace and how pharma marketers can create a path forward for optimal engagement.

1. ACOs and Pharma
ACOs represent an important emerging market that
may exercise very high levels of control over the
services and products used to treat their patients.
Public and private payers are taking the Accountable
Care Organization (ACO) concept from
„demonstration project‟ to broader market
implementation. Provider networks and integrated
healthcare delivery systems are racing to forge
viable business models and capabilities that promise
to reshape the healthcare landscape. This new
approach to health care delivery is charged with the
dual promises of reducing costs and improving
quality of care. The challenge requires development
of a coordinated health systems approach that spans
health care settings and demands collaboration A pharmaceutical company can position itself to
across health care stakeholders. Many of these new take the lead in understanding and capitalizing on
entities (ACOs) are fully operational and more are business growth opportunities emerging from the
forming every month. ACOs represent an emerging ACO customer segment. Finding and establishing
customer segment that presents important new “partnership intersection sweet spots” is critical to
challenges and opportunities for Pharma to the process of creating an accurate roadmap for how
demonstrate that its drugs are part of the solution for to achieve the dual objective of customer focused
delivering quality and reducing overall healthcare support and competitive advantage for its products
costs. with this new customer segment. In order to be
positioned effectively, it is important to understand
What will motivate these decision-makers? How the unmet needs for pharmaceutical care within the
does Pharma gain access to them? scope of ACO initiatives, and secondly, to identify
What are the opportunities to work cooperatively the expected benefits resulting from efforts to
and in collaboration with them to achieve mutually address those unmet needs. Lending complexity to
beneficial goals? In this newsletter we will describe the situation is the fact that each healthcare segment
a few initiatives that deal with how to uncover i.e. Medicare, health plans, hospitals, integrated
answers. health systems, physician groups, employers etc.
will interact somewhat differently thus adding to the
challenge of uncovering a path forward.

2. Some important issues to consider relative to the  Opportunities that exist in the market, how they
ACOs include: translate into potential benefits for the customer
and your company, and recommended tactical
 What do ACOs mean to your company? approaches to capitalize on the opportunities.
 How do ACOs change the business  Obstacles that would need to be overcome and
environment? recommendations for dealing with these.
 What new opportunities and obstacles are  Future trends and implications for the developed
created? ACO business model.
ReCon Marketing Solutions can assist in developing Some questions that must be answered include:
corporate recognition of this new customer segment  What should be done with ACOs in light of
and identify the business objectives, goals, strategies recent trends and developments in the US
and tactics that will guide a company‟s efforts to
Healthcare system?
take the lead with ACOs.  What factors affect the decision for your
organizations interest in a potential partnership,
ReCon recommends a multi-step initiative designed for example therapeutic areas, disease states,
to produce an actionable ACO Plan customized to program implementation?
the needs of your organization. It is recognized that  How do other pharma competitors impact the
some elements of the initiative outlined below may equation and what is their involvement, if any?
be completed or in progress. Where this is the case,  What metrics that can be employed to gauge
ReCon will work with your organization to success?
incorporate the information and results already  What strategies make the most sense from a sales
gathered into the work flow outlined below. and marketing perspective?
Objectives for Work Flows If you would like to discuss strategies and tactics
ReCon may provide advice on the development of a that can assist your organization address
strategic plan that includes tactical recommendations engagement of the ACO business model, consider
in the form of a road map that will result in calling us at (856)-596-7650
successful positioning of your company and its
products with customers engaged in ACO
initiatives. Each company must also gain an
understanding of the fundamental tools and
resources needed by its account personnel during the
transition to selling in the ACO environment.
This in part can be achieved by gathering feedback
and advice from subject area experts to identify
opportunities for your customer and your
organizations focused wins.
ReCon can provide management with a
comprehensive 360 degree view of what its overall
approach to ACOs should look like and where the
greatest areas of focus should be. ReCon‟s road map
will broadly include the following topics:
 Key stakeholders/audiences involved.