Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan Ranks First In U.S. News/NCQA Report

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Article Date: 30 Oct 2007 - 10:00 PDT

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Harvard Pilgrim Health Care in Massachusetts for the third consecutive year ranked first among commercial health plans nationwide for clinical performance and patient satisfaction, according to an annual report compiled by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for U.S. News & World Report, the Boston Globe reports. The report, titled "America's Best Health Plans," will appear in the Nov. 5 issue of U.S. News (Krasner, Boston Globe, 10/26). The report, published on Friday on the U.S. News Web site, examined 250 commercial HMOs and "point-of-service" plans (Levick, Hartford Courant, 10/27).

According to the report, Tufts Health Plan in Massachusetts for the second consecutive year ranked second; Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, a Harvard Pilgrim affiliate in New Hampshire and Maine, ranked third; and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts for the second consecutive year ranked fourth (Krasner, Boston Globe, 10/26). ConnectiCare in Connecticut ranked fifth, the report found.

The report also ranked 151 Medicare plans and 93 Medicaid plans nationwide (Hartford Courant, 10/27). Fallon Community Health Plan in Massachusetts ranked first in both categories, according to the report. Among Medicare plans, BCBS of Massachusetts ranked second, and Tufts ranked third, the report found. Margaret O'Kane, president of NCQA, said that the report is "a practical tool that helps consumers make informed decisions when choosing a health plan" and "lets consumers know which plans have demonstrated they can deliver the highest levels of care and service" (Boston Globe, 10/26).

The report is available online.

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