Absolute Total Care Earns Accreditation from Leading Healthcare Quality Organization

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Absolute Total Care, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, today announced it has received the prestigious New Health Plan accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, not-for-profit organization that sets standards for monitoring and improving healthcare quality.

NCQA New Health Plan Accreditation is a nationally recognized evaluation that purchasers, regulators, and consumers can use to assess managed care plans. The voluntary review process evaluates how well a new health plan manages all parts of its delivery system -- physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services -- in order to continuously improve health care for its members.

NCQA's New Health Plan Accreditation Program applies to health plans that are less than 36 months old. The program is distinct from NCQA's Health Plan Accreditation Program. To determine a health plan's New Health Plan Accreditation status, NCQA officials implement a rigorous evaluation including surveys consisting of on-and off-site reviews of the organization by a team of physicians and managed care experts.

"We are pleased to be recognized by NCQA for the quality and service we provide to our members in South Carolina," said Aaron Brace, Absolute Total Care President and CEO.  "Working closely with provider partners, healthcare quality and outcomes are top priorities for Absolute Total Care," added Brace.  "Our members can feel confident knowing that their health plan has met NCQA's high standards."

Regarding Absolute Total Care's accreditation, NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane added comments about the company's willingness to undergo the organization's voluntary evaluation.

"Health plans that step forward to participate in NCQA's New Health Plan Accreditation program early on in their history are to be especially commended," said O'Kane. "Our standards are rigorous, and by meeting them Absolute Total Care has shown that it is well designed and serious about the quality of care it provides."

About Absolute Total Care

Absolute Total Care is a South Carolina Medicaid health plan. Absolute Total Care is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services. Information regarding Absolute Total Care is available via the Internet at www.absolutetotalcare.com.

About the National Committee for Quality Assurance

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, 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's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

SOURCE Absolute Total Care