September 23, 2004
DANVILLE, PA – Geisinger Health Plan received the top rating in customer service of all HMO’s in Pennsylvania, according to a nationwide report released today by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The annual Quality Compass® report is designed to provide benefit managers, health plans, consultants, the media, and others with easy access to comprehensive information about health plan quality and performance.
MEMBER SATISFACTION
Results from The Commercial Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS®), a section of the report that measures customer satisfaction, show members rate Geisinger Health Plan number one in the state of Pennsylvania. The three criteria measured were: finding or understanding information from your health plan; getting needed help when calling customer service; and paperwork. GHP scored above the national and state average in each category.
"Customer service is key. We believe that customer service is part of everyone’s job," says Duane Davis, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer at Geisinger Health Plan. "The Quality Compass results prove our dedication to providing great service to our members."
BEST IN CLASS
GHP received two "Best in Class" ratings for two adolescent immunization measures. In order to receive a "Best in Class" designation, a health plan must be in the top 10 percent of all health plans on a specific measure. GHP received the rates for the adolescent combo #2 (measles, mumps and rubella; Hepatitis B; and varicella) and the individual varicella (chicken pox) immunizations.
Begun in 1985, Geisinger Health Plan, one of the nation’s largest rural HMOs, serves nearly 236,000 members in 40 counties. To date, the Health Plan’s extensive network includes more than 1,500 primary care physicians and 6,600 specialists in 52 contracted community hospitals throughout northeastern and central Pennsylvania.
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® 2004 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 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.
For more information, please contact
Amy Bowen, Public Relations Coordinator, (570) 271-8135