December 03, 2009
Media Contact: Elizabeth Hammond, 803-264-4626 Columbia, S.C. – U.S. News Media Group and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) ranked BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina the best in South Carolina in their recently released report, America’s Best Health Insurance Plans. The respected annual report ranks the nation’s best health plans based on clinical quality, member satisfaction and NCQA accreditation scores. NCQA and U.S. News Media Group ranked more than 600 health plans. BlueChoice HealthPlan was rated 101st nationally, 12th in the South Atlantic region and best in South Carolina. “Performing as the best in South Carolina and significantly high in our region is incredibly impressive,” said BlueChoice HealthPlan President Mary Mazzola Spivey. “We continue to further improve our members’ health care results through our quality initiatives, and I know these efforts make a difference in the health of our population.” Avery Comarow, U.S. News Health Rankings editor, said: “Today there is an overwhelming amount of information available to consumers trying to make important health care decisions. The problem is that much of this data can be confusing and sometimes unreliable. Through our health plan rankings, U.S. News helps connect consumers to information that is clear and trustworthy.” U.S. News Media Group and NCQA released their report on America’s Best Health Insurance Plans in the December 1 issue of U.S. News, viewable at http://www.usnews.com/directories/health-plans. BlueChoice HealthPlan has disease management and chronic condition management programs called “Great Expectations® for health” in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, maternity, diabetes, back care, children’s health, depression, heart disease, heart failure, men’s health, women’s health, migraine, weight loss, smoking cessation, alcohol management, care calls, case management and childhood obesity. NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations, recognizes physicians and physician groups in key clinical areas, and manages the evolution of HEDIS, the tool the nation’s health plans use to measure and report on their performance. Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BlueChoice HealthPlan has an A+ rating from A.M. Best and an Excellent accreditation status, the highest level awarded, from NCQA. The Excellent accreditation is granted only to plans that demonstrate levels of service and clinical quality that meet NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement. BlueChoice HealthPlan offers four group health plans, one individual plan for children, an individual plan for young adults up to age 30 and a South Carolina Medicaid product.
