Sound Long-Term Care Management Accepting New Providers in Top-Ranked MSSP Accountable Care Organization

Medicare ACO Enrollment period for physician groups runs from June to August.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sound Long-Term Care Management (SLTCM), an accountable care organization (ACO) within Sound Physicians, is inviting clinical groups to apply to join its top-ranked Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs focused on long-term care and facility-based beneficiaries.

It's an opportunity for clinical groups to become part of a physician-led organization setting the standard for ACO performance in the long-term care (LTC) field. SLTCM led shared savings for all MSSP ACOs focused on long-term care and facility-based beneficiaries in performance year 2024. In only its second year of performance, SLTCM saved Medicare nearly $114 million in total shared savings, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

CMS provides only one time period per year when groups can enroll in an ACO. The window is June through August.

"Over the last three years, we've demonstrated that our model best positions providers, patients and facilities for success," said Michael Camacho, president of accountable care at Sound Physicians. "Our ACOs come with deep experience across Medicare populations, including complex and high‑risk patients. That expertise shapes how we track financial performance, enhance patient outcomes, and avoid common pitfalls seen in value-based arrangements."

In 2024, SLTCM delivered the following results‡:

• Emergency department visits decreased by 7.6%
• Short-term hospitalizations decreased by 13.3%

Many clinical groups struggle in value-based payment models due to a lack of resources and experience. Joining SLTCM helps them to:

• Improve care coordination and patient experience
• Enhance clinical outcomes and improve care efficiencies
• Increase collaborative treatment and control costs
• Share experiences and resources while mitigating risk

"A key benefit of working with Sound Long-Term Care Management is our deep bench of clinical leaders," said Dr. Tom Kim, chief medical officer at SLTCM. "Our team actively supports ACO participants through education, protocol development, performance review, and care model refinement. Innovative programs such as virtual health offer more care to be delivered in place, helping to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations in this vulnerable population."

In addition to SLTCM's current offering under the MSSP ACO model, the organization has applied to operate under the new LEAD (Long-term Enhanced ACO Design) model recently introduced by CMS. That 10-year program begins in 2027.    

To learn more about applying to join SLTCM, visit https://sltcm.soundphysicians.com/partner-opportunities/.

‡ Data sources: Medicare fee-for-service claims data and SLTCM internal analytics; values rounded to one decimal place. 

About Sound Long-Term Care Management, a Sound Physicians ACO
Sound Physicians Long-Term Care Management (SLTCM) is a Medicare Shared Savings Program ACO focused exclusively on Medicare beneficiaries living in long-term care and assisted living facilities. With a dedicated clinical team led by physicians–and deep roots in value-based care cultivated over more than two decades – SLTCM's aim is to support its partners in providing uncompromising care to patients while enhancing financial performance. We invest deeply in our people, partners, and technology – including telemedicine – to ensure we connect patients with the care they need and deserve.

Media Contact
Supreme Communications for Sound Long-Term Care Management
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SOURCE Sound Long-Term Care Management