ATLANTA, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Alere Health, LLC, the health management services business of Alere Inc., announced today that it has achieved the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Patient and Practitioner Oriented Full Accreditation for its Disease Management program, encompassing services for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal pain, coronary artery disease, heart failure, depression and high-risk pregnancies.

This survey and accreditation marks the final step in the certification of the disease management programs acquired to create today's Alere Health as a single, consolidated and integrated program. The independent evaluation from one of the nation's most respected quality measurement organizations helps to demonstrate Alere's ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of chronic disease and pregnancy management programs to its customers.

"Healthcare organizations consider NCQA Accreditation to be the gold standard for evaluating healthcare quality and value," says Alere Health CEO Tom Underwood. "This achievement demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality services to clients and our dedication to delivering services based on a strong, comprehensive, quality infrastructure with consolidated data and policies."

Patient and practitioner-oriented accreditation is the most comprehensive/certification option. Alere's programs had to meet 32 standards in six primary areas – program content, patient services, practitioner services, clinical systems, measurement and quality, and operations.

To earn the accreditation, Alere had to submit at least 24 months of data demonstrating comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis, identification of opportunities for improvement, development and implementation of interventions, and finally an evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs.

More than 77% of America's leading employers offer formal health and wellness programs(1). A growing number of employers are looking to organizations such as the NCQA to provide them with assurances that their wellness and disease management programs are meeting the highest level of quality and that they can deliver on promised outcomes, productivity improvements and cost savings.

About Alere

Alere Health is the health management services business of Alere Inc. (previously Inverness Medical Innovations) (NYSE: ALR).  Alere, a Latin verb, meaning "to care for" or "to support", offers the most patient-centered health management services available from a single provider in the industry. Alere provides health interventions that cover an individual's entire lifespan, from pre-cradle to end-of-life care, as well as the continuum from wellness and prevention, to total health management of the individual for those having chronic illnesses.  Alere's continuum of services begins with genetic testing, preconception, pregnancy, NICU and first year of life services; continues with lifelong programs focused on health, wellness and the management of chronic conditions such as heart failure, COPD, and asthma, up to the complex care management required in end-of-life care.  For more information regarding Alere, please visit www.alere.com.

(1) 2008 Survey of Major U.S. Employers by the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and IncentOne Inc (2008), Employee Health & Productivity Management Programs: The Use of Incentives. Survey conducted by Health2 Resources.

SOURCE Alere Health, LLC

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