Highmark Choice Company awarded Excellent Accreditation status and other Highmark plans ranked top in Delaware and West Virginia by National Quality Organization

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 10, 2018) — Highmark Choice Company (HCC), Highmark's health maintenance organization (HMO) in western Pennsylvania, has achieved national recognition for quality as the plan was recently awarded "Excellent" Accreditation status by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

In NCQA's Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018–2019, several Highmark companies received high ratings, including: HCC, which is in the 50 highest-rated Commercial health plans in the nation, and in the five top-rated Commercial health plans in Pennsylvania; Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware, which is the top-rated private plan in the state of Delaware; and Highmark West Virginia, which is the top-rated PPO in West Virginia.

NCQA Health Plan Accreditation 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 the quality of care and services provided to its members.

The NCQA has awarded its highest accreditation status of Excellent for service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement. Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) results are in the highest range of national performance.

"Earning Excellent Accreditation reflects a health plan's ability to work with its members' physicians to improve the quality of clinical care. It shows that the plan is building the kinds of partnerships that are critical to delivering great care and great service," said Margaret E. O'Kane, President of NCQA.

This most recent evaluation focused on a number of critical operational areas including: quality improvement, network management, utilization management, credentialing, members' rights and responsibilities, and member connections.

"The recognition of our health plans by NCQA is significant because it is an independent review that validates the work we are doing to improve the quality of care for our members," said Dr. Charles DeShazer, senior vice president and chief medical officer, Highmark Health Plan. "Our focus is to provide high-quality, efficient and innovative care for our members. Each and every day, we are working to keep our members healthy and coordinate care with doctors so that our members live healthier lives. We're proud of the work we do, and we're honored to receive this designation and ratings in the areas that we serve."

Each year NCQA rates more than 1,000 health insurance plans in all 50 states. NCQA rates health plans on clinical quality, member satisfaction, and Accreditation survey results.