The quality of care for more than 80 million Americans enrolled in 767 accountable health plans improved in 2006, but the gains were smaller than they have been in past years, according to a new report by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
The State of Health Care Quality 2007 report marks the eleventh consecutive year of health plan measurement and reporting on healthcare quality. Commercial health plans posted improvements in 30 of 44 quality of care measures, including important gains in childhood immunizations and colorectal cancer screening. Medicaid plans also reported improvements in 34 of 43 measures.
However, the performance of health plans participating in Medicare lagged behind for a second consecutive year, improving in only seven of 21 measures of care. It is important to note that, in 2006, 44 new Medicare managed care plans reported on quality for the first time, bringing the total to 211 publicly reporting plans this year. These results highlight the need for policymakers and plan leaders to refocus their quality improvement efforts by expanding the number and type of plans that are required to report on quality. Download the report.
