For Immediate Release
October 29, 2007
Geisinger Health Plan ranks high on America’s Best Health Plans list
DANVILLE, PA – Geisinger Health Plan and Geisinger Gold have been named among top ranked commercial and Medicare health plans in the region according to the U.S. News & World Report/National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) America's Best Health Plans 2007-08 list. Both Geisinger Health Plan and Geisinger Gold were ranked in the top 15 percent of health plans in the nation.
Geisinger Health Plan
Geisinger Health Plan was 33 out of 250 ranked commercial plans. This is the third year that Geisinger Health Plan has been ranked in America’s Best Health Plans listing. Geisinger Health Plan’s ranking is based on several measures from the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS® *), a report on performance in preventive measures and treatment of chronic conditions.
Geisinger Health Plan scored well in several HEDIS® * measures, including #1 in the nation for providing beta-blocker treatment to members for six months following a heart attack. The Health Plan was also ranked among the top ten percent of health plans in the nation for four additional measures: well-child visits for children in the first 15 months; adolescent immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis B and chicken pox; use of appropriate medications for adolescents with asthma age 10 to 17; and annual monitoring of people with heart conditions, high blood pressure and seizures.
In addition, members’ access to care and overall satisfaction scores, calculated by the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS® *), were factored into the ranking. GHP’s accreditation status of “Excellent” from NCQA was the final factor in determining the ranking.
Geisinger Gold
Geisinger Gold was 19 out of 151 ranked Medicare plans. The Medicare health plan rankings were based on several HEDIS® * quality measures released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Geisinger Gold scored particularly well in measures related to diabetes care, breast cancer and persistence of medications.
In addition, Geisinger Gold’s “Excellent” Accreditation from NCQA was factored into the final ranking.
“The new rankings are a result of our approach to provide state-of-the-art health-care benefits, exceptional member service, combined with an excellent network of physicians and hospitals,” says Richard Gilfillan, M.D., president and CEO of Geisinger Health Plan. “It’s great to be recognized as one of the top health plans. Our goal is to be the best in the nation and this moves us dramatically forward.”
“We’re thrilled with the new ranking. For 22 years we’ve been dedicated to working with physicians and hospitals to provide superior health-care coverage to the residents in the counties we serve,” says Duane Davis, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer of Geisinger Health Plan. “That we’ve now been recognized as the best in the region is a wonderful testimony to both our employees and participating medical colleagues.”
Geisinger Health Plan, begun in 1985, is headquartered in Danville, PA and is one of the nation’s largest rural HMOs. The Health Plan serves more than 210,000 members in 42 counties. Members of the Health Plan have access to complete health-care benefits, from preventive care and routine office visits to hospital care and surgery; and an extensive network of primary care physicians, including affiliations with hospitals, pharmacies, and home health and rehabilitation services. Coverage is available for businesses of all sizes, individuals and families, and Medicare beneficiaries. Self-funded and indemnity plans are sold through Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company. PPO and high deductible plans are sold through Geisinger Quality Options, Inc.
For more information on NCQA, CAHPS® * or Quality Compass®, please visit NCQA’s Web site at www.ncqa.org or contact Amy Bowen, Public Relations Coordinator at (570) 271-8135.
The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compass® 2007 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Any analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
* NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.
* CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
* America’s Best Health Plans is a trademark of U.S. News and World Report.
* HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
America's Best Health Plans 2007-08 is a trademark of U.S. News and World Report
For more information, please contact
Amy Bowen, Public Relations Coordinator, (570) 271-8135
