Care Improvement Plus Achieves Top Scores for First SNP Evaluatio...( BALTIMORE Nov. 19 /- Care Improvement...),Health

BALTIMORE, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Care Improvement Plus, one of the nation's largest chronic condition Special Needs Plans (SNPs), announced today that it has received top scores from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the evaluation of its structure and process measures. The measures are the first in a series of new requirements evaluating the performance of SNPs in providing high quality care and improving health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.

"We are thrilled to be recognized for the comprehensive nature of our approach to managing the care of our chronically ill members," said Frederick C. Dunlap, board chairman and chief executive officer of XLHealth, which owns and operates Care Improvement Plus. "The successful completion of these reporting requirements is an important first step toward securing a permanent place within Medicare for special needs plans."

In December of 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced plans to contract with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to implement a three phase strategy to evaluate SNPs. The first phase of the evaluation process includes a review of a set of structure and process measures that are scored by a team of clinical quality experts. Plans are scored based on their ability to meet required elements concerning case management, member satisfaction, and clinical quality improvements. In addition, during the first phase 13 HEDIS(R) measures will be used to further evaluate the quality of care SNPs are providing.

Created by the federal government through the Medicare Modernization Act, SNPs are Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans designed to meet the unique needs of certain groups of Medicare beneficiaries, including those with chronic health conditions, those that reside in institutions, and those that are dual-eligible.

Care Improvement Plus offers a variety of ser
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