While CMS exemption of COVID-19 related inpatient expenditures may decrease spending for ACOs, deferred care and outpatient costs associated with COVID-19 may still drive up expenses, leading to financial losses. In response, Validate has added to their services to include COVID-19 episode exclusions for more accurate updated benchmark calculations, risk score monitoring for optimal adjustment to the historical benchmark, beneficiary assignment adjustment for telehealth inclusion, and COVID-19 adjusted analytics.