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HealthPartners awarded NCQA's top accreditation status
'Excellent' accreditation reserved for best health plans in the nation
Oct. 17, 2007
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – For the seventh year in a row, the National Committee for Quality Assurance has awarded HealthPartners "Excellent" accreditation status for its HMO and POS plans. NCQA reserves its "Excellent" status for health plans that demonstrate levels of service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA's most stringent requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.
HealthPartners strengths
HealthPartners scored above the national average in the following areas:- Screening for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer
- Treatment for heart disease, including beta blocker treatment, blood pressure control and cholesterol management
- Diabetes care, including eye exams, cholesterol control and blood sugar testing and control
- Immunizations for children
"While we are very proud to earn this honor, the true measure of success is that this improves health for our members," said Babette Apland, HealthPartners senior vice president for health and care management. Apland noted that every year, for example, HealthPartners improvement in diabetes care for its members prevents 100 heart attacks, 140 limb amputations and 740 cases of retinopathy which can lead to blindness.
"Improving care not only improves the quality of life for our members, but it also makes care more affordable," Apland said, noting that preventing just one heart attack, for example, saves about $30,000 in medical expenses.
NCQA is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to measuring and improving the quality of America's health care NCQA's assessment of managed care plans is nationally recognized by purchasers, regulators, and consumers.
About HealthPartners
Founded in 1957, the HealthPartners (www.healthpartners.com) family of healthcare companies serve more than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide. 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. For the third year in a row, HealthPartners is rated one of the best commercial health plans in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, NCQA's "America's Best Health Plans 2007" and is ranked "Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Region" by J.D. Power and Associates.
Contact: 952-883-5308
Pager: 612-527-1921
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