NCQA Awards Accredited Status to ValueOptions® North Carolina Employer Solutions Service Center
Norfolk, Virginia — JANUARY 27, 2009
ValueOptions®, Inc., the nation's largest independent behavioral health care company, announced today that its North Carolina Employer Solutions Service Center received a three-year, Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral health care organizations (MBHOs), preferred provider organizations, new health plans, physician organizations, credentials verification organizations, disease management programs and other health related programs.
NCQA Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators and consumers can use to assess managed behavioral health organizations (MBHO). NCQA evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system, including physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services. NCQA also measures continuous quality improvement in health care for its members.
Full Accreditation is granted for a period of three years to those plans that have excellent programs for continuous quality improvement and meet NCQA's rigorous standards.
"Achieving NCQA Accreditation reflects a great deal of consistently outstanding work by a large number of ValueOptions® employees," explained Larry Earle, North Carolina regional vice president. "It is gratifying to know that our staff's efforts to produce quality work and exceptional results on a constant basis have been recognized by NCQA."
The voluntary review process includes rigorous on- 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 Accreditation standards are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, reduce patient risk for untoward outcomes, and create an environment of continuous improvement.
NCQA reviews approximately 60 standards for quality, included in the following five categories:
- Quality management and improvement standards across all components
- Utilization management of clinical care
- Network credentialing and re-credentialing to ensure network adequacy and safety
- Members' rights and responsibilities documentation
- Preventive behavioral health care services to improve member health
"NCQA Accreditation is an industry benchmark for quality care and patient safety," said Dr. Hal Levine, chief medical officer for ValueOptions®. "A Full Accreditation validates the excellent quality of services we provide our members and it reflects our promise to provide them with access to the highest quality care."
"ValueOptions® MBHO Accreditation is proof that it's an organization which works hard to coordinate care, ensure access and provide good customer support for members," said Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA President. "It's a sign that ValueOptions® is focused on improving the behavioral health of its members."
ValueOptions® North Carolina service center opened in 1992. The Center's three-year NCQA accreditation runs through June 24, 2011.
