CYPRESS, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The National Business Group on Health recognized PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. with its Annual Award for Excellence and Innovation in Value Purchasing for its innovative SignatureValue Advantage plan.
The National Business Group on Health annually awards individuals, organizations or programs that encourage the efficient use of health care resources that improve quality and affordability and encourage excellent practices that are started by or involve large employers. Award winners have a proven track record of increasing value in health care through superior purchasing practices or have developed approaches, methodologies and tools that enable outstanding health benefit management practices.
Launched in 2002, PacifiCare’s SignatureValue Advantage plan became the nation’s first tiered HMO network of physicians, medical groups and their affiliated hospitals chosen for their affordability as well as for their scores on quality-of-care measures. Since its introduction, the SignatureValue Advantage plan’s results to date have been impressive with overall health care costs for the value HMO network about 14-percent lower than the standard HMO network. That, in turn, has translated into significant savings in health care costs for larger employers.
“PacifiCare was truly visionary when it first launched this program, and it continues to lead the way as it adds to the sophistication of the model,” said Award Committee Chair Dr. Robert Galvin, Director, Global Health Care at General Electric. Dr. Galvin is also vice chair of the National Business Group on Health.
“The PacifiCare program exemplifies the kind of stay-the-course, long-term investment in health plan infrastructure that is essential if we are going to be able to pay providers for documented superior performance,” said National Business Group on Health President Helen Darling, who also served on the Award Committee. “This award by large employers is intended to give positive reinforcement to providers who are doing the right things to enable the best kind of value purchasing.”
“We are honored that the National Business Group on Health has chosen to recognize our SignatureValue Advantage program,” said Dr. Sam Ho, senior vice president and chief medical officer of PacifiCare Health Systems and chief architect of the program. “The award symbolizes our continued commitment to increasing value in health care purchasing by producing higher quality of care at a lower cost to our clients.”
The National Business Group on Health, representing 204 large employers, is the nation’s only nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to finding innovative and forward-thinking solutions to large employers’ most important health care and related benefits issues. The Business Group identifies and shares best practices in health benefits, disability, health and productivity, related paid time off and work/life balance issues. Business Group members, primarily Fortune 500 and large public-sector employers, provide health coverage for more than 45 million U.S. workers, retirees and their families.
PacifiCare Health Systems is one of the nation’s largest consumer health organizations with more than 3 million health plan members and approximately 9 million specialty plan members nationwide. PacifiCare offers individuals, employers and Medicare beneficiaries a variety of consumer-driven health care and life insurance products. Currently, more than 99 percent of PacifiCare’s commercial health plan members are enrolled in plans that have received Excellent Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). PacifiCare’s specialty operations include behavioral health, dental and vision, and complete pharmacy and medical management through its wholly owned subsidiary, Prescription Solutions. More information on PacifiCare Health Systems is available at http://www.pacificare.com/ .
PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.
CONTACT: Tyler Mason, Media Relations, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.,+1-714-226-3520
Web site: http://www.pacificare.com/
