Is your health plan really looking out for you and your family’s interests? Will it provide the healthcare you need when you need it? How does it compare to other plans in your area?
Anyone who has tried to compare the sometimes confusing array of services and options offered by several HMOs knows that figuring out which plan is the right plan is easier said than done. But now, there’s an easy, reliable, and free way to select the right plan.
For 18 years, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has been making comprehensive assessments of the health plans that it accredits. Now you can see these assessments for free.
“We are a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality,” says Brian Schilling, spokesperson for the NCQA. “Our mission is to improve the quality of healthcare delivered to people everywhere.”
The NCQA’s “Health Plan Report Card” includes the results of rigorous, on-site reviews of health plans. The reviews look at clinical quality, member satisfaction, and key medical and administrative systems in more than 50 different areas. The report card shows how well plans performed in five major areas:
- Access and Service
- Qualified Providers
- Staying Healthy
- Getting Better
- Living with Illness
The report card offers users several ways to search for information–by plan type, location, area code, or plan name. It gives users a breakdown of important information. Taken together, this information can help you weigh different plans’ strengths and weaknesses and help you match those to your needs.
Getting started with the Health Plan Report Card by visisting the NCQA’s website at: www.ncqa.org
Article By: John Casey, Medical Writer