CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina full accreditation for the company’s Blue OptionsSM preferred provider organization. The accreditation, which took effect in April, means the company’s PPO meets the NCQA’s highest national standards for quality improvement, service and access to care.
 
Blue Options PPO first achieved full accreditation in 2002, becoming the first PPO in North Carolina to achieve that standard. NCQA, an independent consumer organization for quality in health care, last renewed the PPO’s full accreditation in 2005. The new accreditation is for another three-year period.
 
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina must provide our customers with great service and ready access to care in order to earn NCQA’s full accreditation,” said Cindy Brenneman, BCBSNC vice president for Healthcare Quality and Operational Effectiveness. “It is a significant achievement and shows that BCBSNC is committed to quality.”
 
The voluntary NCQA accreditation process includes rigorous on-site reviews by NCQA examiners, comprehensive interviews and review of clinical and service data. Evaluations are conducted in the following areas: consumer protection, member service, access to care, provider credentialing, and medical group oversight. A national oversight committee of physicians analyzes the team’s findings and assigns an accreditation level based on the performance level of each plan being evaluated to NCQA’s standards.
 
 
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to nearly 3.6 million members, including approximately 825,000 served on behalf of other Blue Plans. For 75 years, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Access BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com.
 
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