Louisville, KY –The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services announced the extension of Passport Health Plan’s federal waiver on October 28, 2005. Passport has been operating as a demonstration project with the goal of improving Medicaid patient access and care and controlling the rapid cost increases in Medicaid.
“The Kentucky Partnership plan is among the highest performing Medicaid managed care demonstrations in the country,” said Dr. McClellan. “It is especially gratifying to see documented improvements in access to health care by children and an overall improvement in health outcomes for all enrollees.”
As stated in the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services release Passport Health Plan has exceeded performance goals set by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in 87 percent of the measures. NCQA has determined that health plans meeting standards at 90 percent of NCQA measures are the very highest performing plans. NCQA, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America’s health care, designated Passport Health Plan as receiving Excellent Accreditation again in 2005. 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.
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. Passport Health Plan is owned by University Health Care, Inc. UHC, Inc. 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 1.5 million Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) members in eight states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, Indiana, California, Arizona, Virginia, and South Carolina. AmeriHealth Mercy Health Plan is a healthcare ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in affiliation with AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. |