The National Committee for Quality Assurance has announced that 39 health plans have committed to participate in NCQA’s Quality Plus program. Collectively, the plans cover 11.5 million Americans. Quality Plus standards focus on the depth, accuracy and interactivity of the information health plans provide to members. Quality Plus is the first set of standards in the quality improvement effort, which as a whole is called Member Connections.

“It’s gratifying that so many HMOs and PPOs have opted to be reviewed against the Member Connections standards, to demonstrate how they make it easy for members to access information and stay involved in their care,” says Margaret O’Kane, NCQA president. “Members who take advantage of the decision-making support that these plans provide will be more engaged with their care—and happier with their plan.”

Member Connections is the first step in NCQA’s effort to update its accreditation programs, so that the same standards apply to a broader array of plan types. The standards assess how effectively an organization interactions with members via the Web and by telephone to help them understand benefits, access self-management tools and check claims status.

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