Aetna Behavioral Health Receives Full Three-Year MBHO Accreditation for Quality from NCQA
-- Aetna Demonstrates Commitment to Providing Quality Care and
Customer Service to Its Members --
HARTFORD, Conn.--(Business Wire)--Aetna (NYSE:AET) today announced that its Behavioral Health
program has received the highest possible rating a managed behavioral
health organization can receive from the nation's leading provider of
independent quality assessments. Aetna received a 'Full' Managed
Behavioral Health Organization (MBHO) Accreditation rating from the
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The accreditation
applies to the nearly 13 million Aetna members enrolled in behavioral
health programs throughout the country.
"In order to earn Full Accreditation, a behavioral health
organization must work hard to coordinate care, ensure access and
provide strong support for its members," said Margaret E. O'Kane, NCQA
President. "The Full Accreditation seal is a sign that an MBHO is
committed to the highest standards of service and care."
NCQA Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that
purchasers, regulators, and consumers can use to assess MBHOs. It
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 health care for its
members.
"Our plan sponsor customers expect a quality product when they
purchase from Aetna, and we are pleased that this independent
evaluation from NCQA provides them with evidence that we are meeting
those expectations. We are pleased to receive recognition from NCQA,"
said Louise Murphy, head of Aetna Behavioral Health. "NCQA is the most
independent, reliable measure of excellence available in the
healthcare industry. Receiving this rating from such a prestigious
organization demonstrates Aetna Behavioral Health's dedication to
quality."
The NCQA evaluated Aetna's two Behavioral Health program offices
in Sandy, Utah and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
The accreditation is a voluntary review process which includes
rigorous on-site and off-site evaluations conducted by a team of
physicians and managed care experts. A national oversight committee of
physicians and behavioral health providers analyzes the team's
findings and assigns an accreditation level based on the MBHO's
performance compared to NCQA standards.
NCQA's demanding accreditation standards are developed with input
from employers, managed care organizations, state and federal
regulators, consumer groups, MBHOs and members of the public.
Aetna embraces a commitment to quality, as evidenced by the
importance placed on achieving NCQA Accreditation. Nationally, all 21
Aetna commercial plans surveyed by NCQA have met its rigorous
standards.
To date, the following Aetna HMO plans have been awarded an NCQA
Accreditation Status of Commendable or better, or New Health Plan
Accreditation Status:
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Arizona, Nevada)
-- Aetna Health of California, Inc.
-- Aetna Health of the Carolinas Inc. (N. Carolina, S. Carolina)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Colorado)
-- Aetna Health Inc.(Connecticut)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Delaware)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Florida)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Georgia)
-- Aetna Health of Illinois, Inc.
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Missouri, Kansas)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Maine)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Maryland, D.C.,Virginia)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Massachusetts)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Northern New Jersey)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Southern New Jersey)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (New York)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Ohio)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Oklahoma)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Pennsylvania)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Tennessee)
-- Aetna Health Inc. (Texas, Oklahoma)
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving
health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of
health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical
areas. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set
(HEDIS) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health
care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information
through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help
consumers, employers and others make more informed health care
choices. For more information, visit www.ncqa.org.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed decisions
about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and
consumer-directed health insurance products and related services,
including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and
disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care
management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer
groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers,
health plans, government-sponsored plans and expatriates.
www.aetna.com
Aetna
Roni Grossman, 860-273-3190
grossmanR@aetna.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
