The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently released a draft of its new Quality Plus standard. Comments on the draft are due by April 18. The standard, compliance to which is voluntary, identifies organizations that have adopted innovative practices or that promote quality care. It emphasizes wellness and prevention, the management of chronic illnesses, complex case management, physician and hospital performance, and other strategies for improving health care quality. NCQA is releasing its draft of the new standard in phases. The most recent release is of the second and third content areas, “Care Management and Health Improvement” and “Physician and Hospital Quality.”

“These standards will help people identify those plans that are on the leading edge in terms of wellness, complex care, measurement and access to information,” says NCQA President Margaret O’Kane. “Even if you’ve never heard of these things, as a member enrolled in a plan that is doing them well, you’ll notice a difference.”

For more information, or to download a copy of the draft standard, visit www.ncqa.org.

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