As I am writing the 1st Edition of the ACO Survival Guide and reflecting on the need for comprehensive patient data to monitor clinical, operational and financial metrics, I chose to create an interactive test file of the median cost of Primary Care in Pinellas County Florida for calendar year 2012. The following interactive graphic provides costs by zip code.

Data was publically downloaded from the CMS Website at http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/sharedsavingsprogram/Calculations.html that provides data for applicants to the Medicare Shared Savings Program to calculate their share of services in each applicable Primary Service Area. In addition, the CMS data sets include all physician fee-for-service claims for calendar year 2012. General Practice, Family Practice, Internal Medicine, and Geriatric Medicine, are combined into the Primary Care category and charges under this category represent all of these specialties.