Vytra Highly Rated in National Survey
Vytra Health Plans has scored highest among eight health plans operating in the New York metropolitan area in the 2004 Quality Compass®, recently released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Melville, NY (PRWEB) November 18, 2004
Vytra Health Plans has scored highest among eight health plans operating in the New York metropolitan area in the 2004 Quality Compass®, recently released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Quality Compass is an annual health information resource produced by NCQA, an independent, not-for-profit group that evaluates, rates and accredits health plans and provides standardized, objective information to assist employers and health care consumers in making informed choices.
In the recently released 2004 Quality Compass information, based on 2003 data, Vytra was compared against 261 other U. S. health plans on numerous standard measures of member satisfaction, measures of access and effectiveness of care. Quality Compass ratings are determined using standardized measurement tools known as Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS®), and Consumer Assessment of Health Plan Study (CAHPS®), which measure clinical performance and customer satisfaction, respectively.
In its market, Vytra achieved the best rate in 13 of 45 key measures of access to and effectiveness of care; and rated in the 90th percentile nationally in nine categories. On CAHPS, Vytra had the highest rating among health plans serving Nassau and Suffolk Counties on three measures: customer service, rating of health care, and rating of health plan. Vytra also rated in the top three among regional health plans on six of the remaining seven measures.
“The independent analysis conducted by NCQA, combined with our own member surveys and other self-analysis data, demonstrate how we measure up to our value proposition,” said Thomas J. McAteer, Jr., Vytra’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our commitment to maintaining quality and value for our members is strengthened with competitive comparisons made possible by third parties such as NCQA.”
Vytra was recently accredited by NCQA for its commercial HMO and POS plans. The NCQA Excellent status that Vytra received is the highest recognition, granted to those health plans that demonstrate levels of service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQAÂ’s rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.
Vytra had more best rates than other health plans in our market. These measures include:
·Adolescent Immunization Status - Combo 1
·Beta Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack
·Comprehensive Diabetes Care – LDL Screening
·Adults’ Access to Preventive/ Ambulatory Health Services – Age 20-44
·Adults’ Access to Preventive/ Ambulatory Health Services – Age 45-64
·Children’s Access to Primary Care Providers – Age 12-24 months
·Children’s Access to Primary Care Providers – Age 25 months - 6 years
·Children’s Access to Primary Care Providers – Age 7-11 years
·Well-Child Visits in the First 15 Months of Life – 6 or more visits
·Well-Child Visits in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Years of Life
·Percent of OB/GYNs who are Board Certified
·Percent of Other Specialists who are Board Certified
·Use of Appropriate Medications for People with Asthma (ages 5-9)
Band 1 Rates (90th percentile nationally)
Vytra had the most Band 1 Rates for our market. The nine measures include:
·Adolescent Immunization Status – Combo 1
·Beta Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack
·Comprehensive Diabetes Care – LDL Screening
·Children’s Access to Primary Care Providers – Age 25 months - 6 years
·Children’s Access to Primary Care Providers – Age 7-11 years
·Well-Child Visits in the First 15 Months of Life – 6 or more visits
·Well-Child Visits in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Years of Life
·Controlling High Blood Pressure
·Antidepressant Medication Management – Optimal Practitioner Contacts
For more information about the 2004 Quality Compass visit www. ncqa. org/info/QualityCompass (http://www. ncqa. org/info/QualityCompass).
About Vytra
Vytra Health Plans is a Long Island-based health plan providing personalized health care coverage and third-party administrative services to approximately 185,000 members in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Counties. Vytra is consistently rated highest for customer satisfaction among health plans in the region. Vytra Health Plans was acquired in 2001 by HIP Health Plan of New York, New York CityÂ’s largest health maintenance organization, and together, the two organizations serve over 1 million members. Visit www. vytra. com.
Note: The source of data is Quality Compass® and is used with permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (“NCQA”). Any analysis, interpretation or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretation or conclusion.
Quality Compass and HEDIS are registered trademarks of NCQA.
CAHPS is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a U. S. Government agency.
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