NCQA unveils standards for health plans
NCQA unveils standards for health plans
New accreditation criteria for health plans will require evidence of care standards and guidelines, objective results measures, and customer satisfaction. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington, DC, recently rolled out the new accreditation standards Accreditation '99, hailing it as the nation's first true performance-based accreditation program.
After processing input from the commentary period that closed on May 15, NCQA will publish the final plan in August 1998. Accreditation surveys under Accreditation '99 will commence July 1, 1999.
The multifaceted assessment will give consumers and employers comprehensive information on which to base purchasing decisions. Many plans currently use the committee's HEDIS (Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) measures to comply with their accreditation requirements. Accreditation '99 will count HEDIS results for 25% of a plan's accreditation score.
Among the updated accreditation criteria are effectiveness of care measures like childhood immunization status, prenatal care in the first trimester, and flu shots for the elderly.
On the consumer side, criteria include getting care quickly, courteous and helpful office staff, and rating of health care in the past 12 months.
For more information contact NCQA, 2000 L St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036. Telephone: (202) 955-3500. World Wide Web: http://www.ncqa.org.
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