ConnectiCare Ranked #5 Best Health Plan ...( Highest Ranked P...),Health

Highest Ranked Plan in Connecticut

FARMINGTON, Conn., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- ConnectiCare has been ranked #5 of 259 health plans by U.S. News & World Report/NCQA America's Best Health Plans 2007. The annual rankings are based on industry standards for quality and customer satisfaction. ConnectiCare moved up one spot from being ranked #6 in the 2006 rankings and continues to be the highest ranked plan in Connecticut.

Mickey Herbert, President and CEO, said, "We have worked to distinguish ourselves as the health plan with superior quality and service. We are proud to be recognized at the top. There is a difference among health plans and our members benefit from having ConnectiCare."

A total of 259 of the nation's health plans were ranked by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The rankings were based on a combination of member satisfaction, clinical quality, and NCQA Accreditation scores.

The scores are grouped in three categories:

Consumer Experience: Includes CAHPS(R) measures about consumer experience with getting care, as well as satisfaction with plan physicians and with health plan services.

Prevention: Includes HEDIS(R) measures of how often preventive services are provided (ex. childhood and adolescent immunizations, women's reproductive health, and cancer screenings), as well as measures of children and adolescents access to primary and preventive visits.

Treatment: Includes HEDIS measures of how well health plans take care of people who have health problems, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, alcohol and drug dependence, mental illness and whether physicians advised smokers to quit.

Dr. Paul Bluestein, Chief Medical Officer, says, "These quality scores translate to tangible improvements in our members' health and the quality of health services they receive. If we can help our members receive better care to stay healthy or to improve the
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