by Dina Overland, FierceHealthPayer

It seems almost every insurer has created an accountable care organization in the last few years since the health reform law passed, but how can you ensure the success of these payer-provider collaborations?

Amid the hoards of ACO arrangements popping up nationwide, Aetna has found a proven strategy toward establishing effective ACOs.

For example, Aetna's four-year-long ACO with NovaHealth, an independent physician association, has reduced inpatient hospital days by 50 percent; cut hospital admissions by 45 percent; led to more than 99 percent of program members visiting their doctors for preventive and follow-up care; and dropped total per member, per month costs by as much as 33 percent.

But Aetna didn't come by these results by accident. Check out the special report to take a deeper look at three recommended strategies.