Group Health's Commercial Plan Ranked Among Top 50 Nationwide

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September 17, 2010

Group Health Cooperative's commercial health plan has been ranked No. 48 in the National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Rankings for 2010-2011-Private.

We are the highest ranked commercial health plan in Washington state, and the only plan in the state to make NCQA's top 50.

The rankings — which compare more than 300 private plans nationwide — combine quality of care, customer satisfaction, and accreditation.

Group Health's ranking this year is up from last year's No. 76 position.

"When Group Health's national quality rankings increase steadily over five years, it's worth a purchaser's time to ask why," said Dr. Michael Soman, president and chief medical executive of Group Health Physicians. "We have spent decades creating and refining a consistent, sustainable, evidence-based system of care that builds in quality and lets patients work proactively with their care teams to build better health."

NCQA's ranking — along with the 2010 Puget Sound Health Alliance Community Check-Up — affirms the outstanding results we produce with our patient-centered health-promotion, disease-prevention, care and treatment approaches.

Our improved rankings in member satisfaction, as measured by Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®),* proves that members increasingly appreciate our approach. We are among the top 25 percent of health plans nationally for how members rate their overall health care, up significantly from last year.

"Actively partnering with consumers in delivering the best care and service has always been fundamental to Group Health," said Dr. Matt Handley, Group Health associate medical director for quality. "With the upcoming health care reform, consumers will have an even greater role in choosing their health care and it is critical that we focus on quality and value and making that information available to consumers. The annual rankings are a powerful tool in activating consumers in their important role as they participate in their health care and coverage decisions."

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization that accredits, reviews, and certifies health care organizations and health plans. It is committed to providing health care quality information to help consumers, employers, and others make more informed health care choices.

Through accreditation, NCQA evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system — physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services — in order to continuously improve health care for its members. NCQA accreditation is a voluntary review process.

The NCQA rankings are available atwww.ncqa.org/rankings. Rankings for Medicare/Medicaid plans will be available October 21.

Also see:

2010 Puget Sound Health Alliance Community Checkup

*CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ).

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