Press Releases: 2008

Passport Health Plan Receives Excellent Rating from National Reporting Agency

The National Committee for Quality Assurance Awards an "Excellent" Accreditation

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care, designated Passport Health Plan as receiving Excellent MCO Accreditation. This is the highest accreditation status for service and clinical quality given to a health plan that meets or exceeds NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.

Dr. Larry N. Cook, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of University Health Care, Inc. which does business as Passport Health Plan said, "This is our report card. You can’t do much better than A+. We attribute our success to the many physicians and other health care providers who have dedicated themselves to making this health plan successful. They serve on committees that oversee the development of policies related to all medical management and quality issues. I think this proves that provider sponsored health plans can work very well."

NCQA Accreditation evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system - physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services - in order to continuously improve health care for its members and is an evaluation of how a health plan ensures that its members are receiving high-quality care. NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane said, "Earning 'Excellent' Accreditation reflects a health plan’s ability to work with their members and their physicians to improve the quality of clinical care. It shows that they are building the kinds of partnerships that are critical to delivering great care and great service."

"We have met the goals set forth by the Commonwealth of Kentucky when they established this health plan in 1997. This report shows improved care for Medicaid members and we have saved taxpayers millions of dollars in the process," said Joyce Hagen Midwest Regional President of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies which administers Passport Health Plan.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and 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. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

University Health Care, Inc., dba Passport Health Plan, provides Medicaid managed care services for over 145,000 members in Jefferson and the 15 surrounding counties. The counties of service include Breckinridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, and Washington. Passport Health Plan is sponsored by the University of Louisville Medical School Practice Association, University of Louisville Hospital, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare, Norton Healthcare, and the Louisville/Jefferson County Primary Care Association, which includes the Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness and Louisville's two federally qualified health centers, Family Health Centers and Park DuValle.

University Health Care, Inc. contracts with AmeriHealth Mercy for administrative services. The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies is a mission-driven organization dedicated to ensuring the delivery of quality health care to low-income populations covered by publicly-funded programs throughout the United States. AmeriHealth Mercy and its affiliates comprise the largest family of Medicaid managed care plans in the United States, touching the lives of over 6.2 million members nationwide. AmeriHealth Mercy employs over 2,000 people nationally, including 225 employees in Passport's Louisville office. For more information, please visit www.AmeriHealthMercy.com.

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of NCQA.