UnityPoint Health received approximately $1.2 million in payments from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield through its accountable care organization (ACO) contract with Wellmark. The 2014 results mark the third year that UnityPoint has achieved savings through the program, in which Wellmark shares in savings through enhanced quality of care measures to more than 143,000 insured members throughout Iowa. ACO providers assume responsibility for managing a population of patients; Wellmark offers the providers financial rewards if they reach established quality goals and slow the rate of increase in health care spending for these patients. At the same time, providers do not earn incentives if their quality declines or their costs run higher than expected. UnityPoint Health said in a release that three out of four provider groups that received shared savings from Wellmark in 2014 actively collaborate with its ACO, UnityPoint Health Partners, in the delivery of value-based care in Iowa. Wellmark last week announced overall savings of $17 million through its ACO contracts with eight health systems, including UnityPoint Health.