More employers are turning to accountable care organizations as a lower-cost employer-sponsored benefits option with a higher quality of care, according to a report by Aon Hewitt and Polakoff Boland.

The report, which interviewed 674 U.S. employers, finds that 28 percent of respondents are interested or very interested in exploring ACOs, and 37 percent of respondents are somewhat interested. Another 24 percent of respondents are unsure, and 11 percent of respondents are not at all interested.  

Quality of care is the primary factor 82 percent of respondents rely on in evaluating ACOs, which is followed by the ability to manage the total cost of care at 81 percent, patient outcomes at 66 percent and plan-provider pricing transparency at 47 percent.