HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance health plans, leading health insurance providers for nearly 30 years, today reported Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS(R)) 2004 results that ranked them higher than the national average in 29 of 31 measures of medical services and member satisfaction.
The HealthAmerica HMO and HealthAssurance POS were rated tops among central Pennsylvania plans in several key measures, including:
* Assuring that adolescents received well-child visits in the year measured. * Ensuring children receive their immunizations in a timely manner. * Timely initiation of prenatal care. * Assuring that children three years old and up received well-child doctor visits. * Cervical cancer screenings. * Breast cancer screenings. * Screening and testing adult members with diabetes to help them control their disease.
HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance exceeded the national averages in many medical and customer service categories, including:
* Assuring that members received beta blockers after a heart attack to help prevent future heart attacks. * Assuring that new mothers and their babies get check ups after the delivery. * Providing flu shots for adults age 50 to 64. * Providing care quickly. * Overall health plan rating.
“We are pleased that the HEDIS scores reflect the work we are doing to arrange for excellent medical and outstanding customer services for our members in the central Pennsylvania community,” said Francis S. Soistman, Jr., president and chief executive officer of HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance. “We also commend the physicians and their office staffs in our network for their cooperation in providing excellent care to our members.”
HEDIS, a standardized set of performance measures, allows health plans to develop meaningful information about the quality and value of its health care and helps employers understand the value of the health care plan they are purchasing. The HEDIS scores provide health plans with measures on which to continuously improve their clinical and customer services. The measures cover a broad spectrum of health care services in terms of effectiveness of care and customer satisfaction.
HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance cover more than 730,000 members in Pennsylvania and Ohio through HMO, POS and PPO plans. In addition to top ranks in HEDIS 2004, the HealthAssurance POS and the HealthAmerica HMO have received “Excellent” accreditation by the NCQA, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America’s health care.
About HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance
HealthAmerica Pennsylvania, Inc., has a 29-year record in managed care. HealthAmerica, HealthAssurance Pennsylvania, Inc., and affiliate companies cover over 730,000 members in Pennsylvania and Ohio through HMO, POS, PPO, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage plans. In addition, HealthAmerica earned an “Excellent” Accreditation for its HMO plan and HealthAssurance earned an “Excellent” Accreditation for the HealthAssurance POS by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America’s health care. With corporate offices in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance provide managed health care products and services to over 11,000 employers in Pennsylvania and Ohio. HealthAmerica and its affiliates employ over 1,500 people in Pennsylvania. For more information, visit HealthAmerica’s Web site at http://www.healthamerica.cvty.com/ .
HealthAmerica and HealthAssurance
CONTACT: Kendall Marcocci, Director of Communications of HealthAmericaand HealthAssurance, +1-717-540-6746
Web site: http://www.healthamerica.cvty.com/