Our commitment to quality and continuous improvement has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the nation's leading quality monitoring organization for Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), sometimes called HMOs.

On October 4, 2000, NCQA awarded IEHP a 3-year MCO Commendable Accreditation for its Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs.

To earn this accreditation, we had to meet NCQA's strict requirements for Member service and quality improvement. The 3-year period is the longest time allowed before re-evaluation.

In 2003 we were again evaluated by NCQA and awarded another 3-year MCO Commendable Accreditation for its Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs.

In 2002, IEHP became the first full service plan in America to earn a Full Disease Management Accreditation from NCQA for its Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Programs.

The Disease Management Accreditation is for IEHP's Health Management Program that supports Members who have asthma, diabetes, or high-risk pregnancies.

What does NCQA look at when evaluating a health plan?

NCQA reviews plans against more than 60 different standards that fall into the following 5 categories.

Access and Service - Do members have access to the care and service they need? For example, are doctors free to discuss all treatment options available, do members report problems getting care, how well does the plan follow up on grievances?

Qualified Providers - Does the health plan thoroughly check the credentials of all its providers? How do members rate their personal doctor or nurse?

Staying Healthy - Does the health plan help its Members stay in good health and avoid illness? Does it give doctors guidelines for providing preventive health services like immunizations and tests? Are members getting the tests and screening they need to avoid health problems?

Getting Better - How well does the plan care for Members when they get sick? How does the health plan check new medical procedures, drugs and equipment to make sure members get safe and effective care?

Living with Illness - How well does the plan care for members with chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma? Does the plan have programs to help members manage their conditions?

The results of NCQA's evaluations are available to the public. You can find NCQA's easy-to-read Health Plan Report Card at www.NCQA.com.

Do all health plans get NCQA accreditation?

No. NCQA's accreditation programs are voluntary and only the best health plans step forward to be reviewed.

We believe that looking for NCQA accreditation is the best way to be sure that the plan provides quality care and service that meets the highest standards in the country.