TRUMBULL, Conn., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
Oxford Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: OHP) today announced that it received
"Excellent Accreditation" from the National Committee for Quality Assurance
(NCQA), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the
quality of America's health care and service. Oxford's Excellent
Accreditation applies to Oxford's commercial HMO and POS products in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut, and its Medicare products in New York and
Connecticut.
"We are committed to improving the health of our members. Our member
health management programs, our excellent relationships with our doctors, and
customer services that ensure our members have access to quality, affordable
healthcare help us achieve that goal," said Alan Muney, M.D., chief medical
officer of Oxford. "Through hard work, creativity and cooperation with the
medical community, we were able to reach this milestone. Moreover, we are
committed to making even greater strides in helping people manage their
health, particularly in the areas of preventive care and disease management."
Oxford wellness and disease management programs are designed to support
the doctor-patient relationship by assisting in the coordination of care;
providing on-going comprehensive patient support; and encouraging high-risk
members to comply with physician treatment plans.
As part of a three-year program to increase the success of its health
management programs, last March Oxford announced that it signed a multi-year
agreement with American Healthways to enhance its HeartSmart(SM) program in
the area of congestive heart failure (CHF). Under the contract, American
Healthways will reach out to Oxford's more than 17,000 CHF members to enroll
them in this voluntary care enhancement program. In addition to HeartSmart,
Oxford offers individualized disease management programs for members with
diabetes, asthma, renal disease, as well as other diseases.
According to the NCQA's accreditation process and review classification,
"Excellent Accreditation" is awarded to a managed care organization for
service and clinical quality that meets or exceeds NCQA's rigorous
requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement. HEDIS(R)1
(Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set) results are in the highest
range of national performance. The NCQA accreditation process is a voluntary
review process to evaluate how well a health plan manages all parts of its
delivery system in order to continuously improve health care for its members.
NCQA's Standards for Accreditation not only involves a rigorous review of a
health plan's consumer protection and quality improvement systems, but also
requires health plans to submit audited data on key clinical service measures
(e.g., mammography screening rates, childhood immunizations and consumer
satisfaction).
Following a March 2002 review of Oxford's systems, NCQA again awarded an
"Excellent Accreditation" to the company for its commercial products in New
York, and upgraded its commercial products in New Jersey and Connecticut, and
Medicare programs in New York and Connecticut to an "Excellent Accreditation"
from the "Commendable" status they received last year.
(1) HEDIS(R) is a registered trademark of the National Committee for
Quality Assurance (NCQA).
(2) The source for data contained in this publication is Quality
Compass(R) and is used with the permission of the National Committee
for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Any analysis, interpretation, or
conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA
specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis,
interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass is a registered
trademark of NCQA.
"Earning 'Excellent Accreditation' reflects a health plan's ability to
work with its members and physicians to improve the quality of clinical care,"
said Greg Pawlson, M.D., executive vice president of NCQA. "It shows the plan
is building the kind of partnerships that are critical to delivering great
care and service."
NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing
and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral
healthcare organizations, preferred provider organizations, new health plans,
physician organizations and credentials verification organizations. Its
mission is to provide purchasers and consumers with an unprecedented ability
to evaluate the quality of different health plans along a variety of different
dimensions, and to make their health plan decisions based on demonstrated
value rather than simply on cost.
Founded in 1984, Oxford Health Plans, Inc. (http://www.oxfordhealth.com) provides
health plans to employers and individuals in New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut, through its direct sales force, independent insurance agents and
brokers. Oxford's services include traditional health maintenance
organizations (HMOs), point-of-service (POS) plans, preferred provider
organization (PPO) plans, third-party administration of employer-funded
benefits and Medicare plans.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain comments that are considered forward-
looking statements within the meaning of applicable federal securities laws
and are based upon Oxford's current expectations and assumptions, which are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual
results to materially differ from those anticipated. A discussion of those
risks and uncertainties is included in the discussion under "Business -
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the Oxford
annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2001.
SOURCE Oxford Health Plans, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.oxfordhealth.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/104612.html
CONTACT:
Maria Gordon Shydlo, +1-203-459-7674, or
mshydlo@oxfordhealth.com, or Sierra Silkman, +1-203-459-6355, or
ssilkman@oxfordhealth.com, both of Oxford Health Plans, Inc.
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