UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, has achieved full National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Accreditation across its principal commercial health plan offerings.
This indicates that all of UnitedHealthcare’s eligible fully insured and self-funded commercial HMO, POS and PPO plans have received NCQA accreditation.
“Accreditations reflect a health plan’s ability to work with physicians to improve the quality of clinical care to enhance customer service,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, president of NCQA.
NCQA Health Plan Accreditation is an evaluation that employers, regulators and consumers can use to assess health plans. The accreditation process evaluates all parts of a health plan’s delivery system, from physicians and hospitals to other healthcare providers and administrative services.
“NCQA’s accreditation process provides an independent review of our programs. This review helps assure our customers that the information, programs and services that we offer give them access to quality healthcare and provide opportunities for them to enhance their own well-being so they may live healthier lives,” said Sam Ho, MD, UnitedHealthcare executive vice president and chief medical officer.
The review also includes onsite and offsite evaluations by a team of physicians and managed-care experts.
The Health Plan Accreditation performance results were reported in five categories: Access and services, qualifying providers, wellness initiatives, health improvement methods, and chronic care strategy,
UnitedHealthcare is only the second of two national health insurers to receive NCQA’s PQ (physician quality) and HQ (hospital quality) certifications for focusing on sound methodology and transparency, and for providing information on the cost and quality of care.
“Our goal is to ensure that all of our health plans continue to meet the high standards of customer engagement and satisfaction,” said Ho. “In addition, we will continue to engage in physician and hospital quality initiatives that are transparent and sound, while focusing on both quality and cost.”