Dozens of the United States’ largest consumer groups and employers recently endorsed new standards released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The standards address how health plans assess the quality and efficiency of the care provided by their contracting physicians and hospitals, and how they share the results with health plan members. Health plans seeking compliance with the standard, “Physician and Hospital Quality,” must demonstrate that they measure and report the quality and cost of their hospitals-and-physicians network. In addition, they are required to use the results to improve physician services through product design and to note high-quality providers in online directories.

“Measuring physician and hospital performance is the next big step toward more transparent, accountable health care,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA president. “The tremendous support from purchasers and consumer groups for these standards is a clear indication of the need for solid, reliable information about doctors and hospitals to help inform health care decision making.”

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