Network Health Plan among top 6 percent of health plans nationwide
03 / 09 / 2006
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Maria Nelson, Media Relations
Affinity Health System
(920) 720-1752
(920) 554-0686 (pager)
MENASHA, Wis. – Network Health Plan ranks 16th among the 257 rated health plans in the nation in terms of customer satisfaction and clinical performance, according to the U.S. News & World Report/National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) America’s Best Health Plan listing re-released this week.
The ranking, originally released in October by U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), contained numerous errors. NCQA ranked the plans using a complex model that gave more weight to certain items and less to others. The errors came about because not one but two different sets of weightings were inadvertently applied. NCQA took full responsibility for the errors, strengthened its internal controls, and apologized.
The revised rankings place Network Health Plan in the top 6.25 percent of all ranked commercial plans nationwide. “We are elated about this news,” said Sheila Jenkins, president of Network Health Plan. “We strive to provide excellent service to our members daily. This recognition is an indication that our providers, care management staff and customer service representatives are focused on delivering the best care. We’re honored to be among the top 6 percent of rated health plans in America.”
The rankings are based on clinical performance, member satisfaction and NCQA accreditation. Specifically, health plans are ranked in four key categories:
- Access to care includes consumer experience with getting needed care.
- Overall consumer satisfaction.
- Prevention includes how often preventive services are provided.
- Treatment includes how well health plans take care of people who have health problems.
Network Health Plan, based in Menasha, is a regional health care organization that provides services to 75,000 members of 1,400 employer groups throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
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 provides health care quality information free of charge through the Web and media in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.
For a complete listing go to http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/best-health-insurance/topplans.htm
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For the Editor:
Affinity Health System, a faith-based regional health care network, is the Fox Valley’s second-largest employer, according to the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For the fourth consecutive year, Affinity has been named one of the nation’s top 64 health systems based on clinical performance according to Thomson Reuters, a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of health care. For ten consecutive years, Affinity Health System has been named to the SDI (formerly Verispan) Integrated Health Network Top 100, an annual assessment of the 100 most highly integrated health care networks in the nation. Both St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton and Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh rank among the top 1 percent of hospitals nationwide in terms of quality and efficiency, as determined by the 2007 Premier | CareScience Select practice National Quality Award. Network Health Plan has achieved Excellent accreditation status from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the highest possible level. It has been nationally ranked in the Top 50 Health Insurance Plans for five consecutive years in the U.S. News and World Report/NCQA Best Health Plans in America listing. Members of Affinity include Mercy Medical Center and Mercy Health Foundation, Oshkosh; St. Elizabeth Hospital and the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Appleton; Affinity Medical Group, a regional network of 26 family practice and specialty clinics – 23 of which are recognized as NCQA Level III medical homes, the highest level of recognition – in 14 communities; Calumet Medical Center, Chilton; Network Health Plan, Menasha; and Affinity Occupational Health.