Managed care accreditation: the process and early findings.

ABSTRACT

Health maintenance organizations (HMO)s are taking center stage in our nation's move toward healthcare reform. Issues such as quality, cost, and access to healthcare are critical to consumers; the managed care industry provides care at a significantly more affordable cost than does traditional fee-for-service medicine. Although national surveys show that HMO members are extremely satisfied with the level of service and care they receive, managed care organizations still strive to demonstrate their commitment to quality. As healthcare industry leaders and major customer groups attempt to establish measurable performance standards, the emergence of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has enhanced the ability of managed care organizations (MCOs) to demonstrate excellence by way of accreditation.