FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Community Health Plan Achieves “AMAZED” Response from TEAMonitor
June 19, 2009 – Seattle, WA – TEAMonitor, an interagency, multidisciplinary audit team that includes membership from the Health & Recovery Services Administration (HRSA) and Health Care Authority (HCA), finished its annual review of Community Health Plan (CHP), giving the organization high marks. TEAMonitor monitors the quality of care purchased jointly by state agencies.
“Auditors said they were 'amazed' at CHP's turnaround in Member Access,” said Lance Hunsinger, CEO of Community Health Plan. “Community Health Plan has achieved the highest possible score on access to services for patients. This is a significant accomplishment and one that means our patients are receiving care when and where they need it.”
Other positive news from the review includes:
- Community Health Plan’s immunization rates were highest among all Washington Medicaid plans in 2008.
- Community Health Plan’s innovative program to identify high cost, high utilizing patients and to help better manage their care is considered a best practice among health plans in the state.
“It is obvious we accomplished something significant,” noted Hunsinger. “These scores are a testament to the foundation of quality here at Community Health Plan.”
The Plan is pursuing National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation that will further advance quality across the organization. Related initiatives include last month’s launching of our 24/7 nurse advice line and the upcoming launch of an online member portal.
By year’s end, Community Health Plan will be the only health plan with providers in every Washington county. Over the past year CHP has expanded its provider network by 15 percent. Our goal is an additional 15 percent expansion by the end of 2009 to ensure our enrollees the best possible access to the provider of their choice.
About Community Health Plan
Community Health Plan provides managed care for more than 220,000 individuals and families throughout Washington. It is the state’s largest provider of the Basic Health Plan and the second largest health plan serving members of the state’s Medicaid program, including Healthy Options, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and GA-U. The health plan’s delivery system includes more than 300 primary care clinics, 1,600 providers, 8,000 specialists, and 90 hospitals. Community Health Plan features an incentive program that rewards its members for getting the preventive care they and their families need.
www.chpw.org
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For more information please contact:
David Kinard
Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications
206-613-8949
david.kinard@chpw.org
