Press Releases: 2005

Passport Health Plan Recognized in U.S. News & World Report

U. S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance Ranks Passport Health Plan #18 of America's Best Medicaid Health Plans

"U. S. News & World Report/NCQA America's Best Health Plans 2005" list ranks Passport Health Plan #18 of all Medicaid health plans in the country. Passport Health Plan was recognized in the top 25 and is the only Medicaid health plan in Region 4 to achieve "America's Best Health Plan" badge. Region 4 includes Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky as cited in the NCQA Accreditation Benchmarks. The rankings, which will be published in US News and World Report on newsstands today, are based on clinical performance, member satisfaction and NCQA Accreditation. America's Best Health Plans is a trademark of U. S. News & World Report.

"We are pleased to be recognized as the best of the best in these rankings. We have worked hard to improve health and quality of life for our members by offering innovative programs in disease management, pharmacy management, case management, and member education. Obviously, these programs are working," said Dr. Larry N. Cook, Chairman of the Board for Passport Health Plan.

NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans, managed behavioral healthcare organizations, preferred provider organizations, new health plan, physicians organizations, credentials verification organizations, disease management programs and other health related-programs. NCQA is committed to providing information on the quality of health plans. Consumers can easily access health plans' NCQA Accreditation statuses and other information on health care quality on NCQA's Web site at www.ncqa.org, or by calling NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.

University Health Care, Inc. dba Passport Health Plan provides Medicaid managed care services for over 135,000 members in Jefferson and the 15 surrounding counties. Counties of service include Breckinridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington. The National Committee for Quality Assurance designated Passport Health Plan as receiving excellent accreditation. University Health Care, Inc. dba Passport Health Plan contracts with AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan of Philadelphia to administer the program. AmeriHealth Mercy and its affiliated health plans comprise the largest multi-state Medicaid managed care organization in the United States. Through its ownership, affiliation or management, AmeriHealth Mercy touches the lives of nearly one million Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) members in seven states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, California, and Arizona. AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan is a healthcare ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in affiliation with AmeriHealth HMO, Inc.