Improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of publicly financed health care
2008 NCQA Awards Recognize Health Plans in CHCS Disparities Initiatives
Six health plans participating in Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) initiatives to reduce disparities and improve health care quality were selected by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for the 2008 Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award. The six plans received seven out of eight national awards.
The innovative programs developed by the winning plans spanned a range of efforts to improve health care for African Americans, Hispanics, Asians and other ethnic groups. Several of the plans implemented activities focused specifically on African-American populations, two plans focused on cultural and linguistic competency, and one plan used race and ethnicity data to identify health disparity geographic "hot spots."
Awardees from CHCS initiatives include:
Disparities Quality Summit Innovation Award Recipient
- Virginia Premier Health Plan, Inc.
National Health Plan Collaborative Participants
- Aetna
- Highmark Inc. (Pennsylvania)
- Molina Healthcare (Michigan)
- Wellpoint, Inc.
- United Healthgroup
The annual NCQA award, supported by The California Endowment, was created to identify best practices in managed care that address health disparities.