Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida Plan Recognized As Excellent By NCQA

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded the status of “Excellent” to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s (BCBSF) Commercial HMO plan. “Excellent” is the NCQA’s highest accreditation status and is awarded to plans that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.

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“NCQA results are one way we show our commitment to providing excellent service and quality of care for our members,” said Dr. William Kerr, vice president, quality and care management, BCBSF.

The accreditation is based on three scores. The first determines how well a company meets the NCQA standards for administering its clinical and administrative systems in areas such as quality improvement, consumer protection and service.

The second element is the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS(R)). This is a tool used by over 90 percent of America’s health plans to measure performance on important dimensions of care and service. HEDIS makes it possible to compare the performance of one plan to another. BCBSF also used HEDIS to help determine how well improvement efforts are doing and where extra focus is needed.

The third element, also part of HEDIS, is the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS(R)), which measures members’ satisfaction with their care in areas such as customer service, claims processing and getting care quickly.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a leader in Florida’s health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 7.1 million people. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its Web site at http://www.bcbsfl.com .

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CONTACT: Mark S. Wright, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida,+1-904-905-6935, or mobile, +1-904-233-3481