WellCare Receives NCQA Quality Accreditation For Medicaid And Medicare Health Plans In Georgia

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) today announced that the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has awarded an accreditation status of Commendable to its Medicaid health plan in Georgia. WellCare also received an Accredited designation for its Medicare Advantage plan in the state.

NCQA accreditation evaluates the quality of health care that health plans provide to their members. It is a nationally recognized evaluation that consumers can use to assess health plans. To earn accreditation, NCQA evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system, which covers physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services. NCQA accreditation provides consumers with an unprecedented ability to evaluate the quality of different health plans along a variety of important dimensions, and to make their health plan decisions based on demonstrated value rather than simply on cost.

“Achieving an accreditation status of Commendable from NCQA is a sign that a health plan is serious about quality,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, president, NCQA. “It is awarded to plans whose service and clinical quality meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement.”

“WellCare of Georgia is pleased to be recognized by NCQA for the actions that we are taking to make a measureable and lasting difference in the lives of low-income families and children, and seniors,” said Roman Kulich, region president, Georgia and South Carolina. “This recognition is a reflection of our employees’ and providers’ dedication to delivering quality care.”

“We have invested significantly in strengthening our resources to activate a statewide, high-touch care model to consistently deliver quality care and services to our members,” said Dr. John Alexander Johnson, senior medical director, WellCare of Georgia. “By doubling the number of locally-based outreach personnel, behavioral health specialists and nurses serving Georgia communities, we can better focus on those who need our help most.”

Consumers can easily access NCQA statuses and other information about health care quality on NCQA’s website at www.ncqa.org, or by calling NCQA customer support at (888) 275-7585.

As of June 30, 2014, WellCare serves approximately 617,000 Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids® plan members, 29,000 Medicare Advantage plan members and 53,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan members in Georgia.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides managed care services targeted to government-sponsored health care programs, focusing on Medicaid and Medicare. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare offers a variety of health plans for families, children, and the aged, blind, and disabled, as well as prescription drug plans. The company serves approximately 3.9 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2014. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company’s website at www.wellcare.com.

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