News Release
August 1, 2007
HMSA health plans earn nation’s highest accreditation
Cliff Cisco
Senior Vice President
(808) 948-5481
cliff_cisco@hmsa.com
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) today announced the National Committee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has once again awarded its highest levels of accreditation
to HMSA health plans. HMSA remains the only plan in Hawaii to offer PPO and HMO
health plans that have earned the highest levels of NCQA accreditation.
"This is exciting news for health plan members across the state," says
Cliff Cisco, HMSA senior vice president. "Locally, this places HMSA in a class
by itself. It also means our PPO and HMO health plans are among the best in the
nation."
Plans receiving Full Accreditation include HMSA’s Preferred Provider Plan,
CompMED, Federal Employee Health Benefit Program, State of Hawaii Employer Union
Trust Fund Plan, and 65C Plus. "Full" is the highest level of accreditation
for PPO plans, and is granted to plans with excellent programs for continuous quality
improvement that meet NCQA’s rigorous standards.
HMSA’s Health Plan Hawaii received Excellent Accreditation, the highest level
of accreditation for HMO plans. "Excellent" is granted for service and
clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer
protection and quality improvement.
NCQA conducts an assessment every three years to determine if plans meet the highest
levels of accreditation. The next survey for HMSA health plans is scheduled for
2010.
"NCQA’s Excellent Accreditation status is reserved for the best health
plans in the nation," says Margaret E. O’Kane, president of NCQA. "It
is only awarded to those plans that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements
for consumer protection and quality improvement and deliver excellent clinical care."
"A PPO has to provide its members with great service and ready access to care
in order to earn NCQA’s Full Accreditation," says Greg Pawlson, M.D.,
executive vice president of NCQA. "It is a significant achievement that shows
that the organization is committed to quality."
NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting
on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral health care organizations,
preferred provider organizations, new health plans, physician organizations, credentials
verification organizations, disease management programs, and other health-related
programs. NCQA’s mission is to improve the quality of health care delivered
to people everywhere. (For more information, visit ncqa.org.)
HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association. It was founded in Hawaii in 1938,
and is guided by a community board of directors that serves without compensation
and includes representatives from health care, business, labor, government, education,
clergy, and the community at large. It is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally,
HMSA and 38 other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to
nearly 100 million members.
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