HealthPartners achieves national benchmark status in business report on health care quality

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - October 28, 2009 For the fourth year in a row, HealthPartners has national benchmark status in a report sponsored by the National Business Coalition on Health. NBCH is a national nonprofit organization representing 7,000 employers and approximately 25 million employees and their dependents. In the 2009 report, HealthPartners is the national benchmark, meaning it scored highest in the nation for performance in six out of seven areas of health care. More than one hundred health plans across the country participated in the eValue8 request for information for this years report including CIGNA, Aetna and Kaiser Permanente. HealthPartners scored highest among all health plans in the following areas:

Chronic disease management* **
Consumer engagement * **
Pharmaceutical management* **
Prevention and health promotion* **
Provider measurement * **
Plan profile **


*HMO **PPO

"This is a remarkable achievement and HealthPartners has earned this national recognition by using this tool to continually push to improve quality year after year," Carolyn Pare, president and CEO of the Buyers Health Care Action Group. The report is sponsored locally by BHCAG, a coalition of private and public employers including the state of Minnesota, Cargill, 3M, Medtronic and Target. The report is used to help employers purchase the best value high quality, low cost - health care plans and programs. Data is gathered through eValue8^TM, the leading health plan evaluation tool developed by the National Business Coalition on Health. It provides information such as how many members with diabetes and heart disease get the right care to manage their illnesses. The report also reviews whether health plans provide cost and quality information to customers so they can make more informed decisions about their care.

"This tool is invaluable in improving care, customer experience and affordability. As an organization, we're very focused on delivering value to our members and patients," said Mary Brainerd, HealthPartners president and CEO. "This recognition from the business community reinforces that the work that were doing is on the mark and truly helping to change health care."

In addition to achieving top status by eValue 8, HealthPartners has been ranked among the top 50 best health plans in the U.S. for four years in a row by U.S. News & World Report/NCQA America's Best Health Plans.

---

About HealthPartners Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of health care companies serves 1.25 million members and provide care to more than 500,000 patients in HealthPartners care delivery system which includes 70 clinics and three hospitals. It is the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the health of members, patients and the community.

Contact: 952-883-5308