Accordant Health Services, a CVS Caremark Company, Receives URAC Case Management Re-Accreditation

WOONSOCKET, R.I., May 5 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) announced today that Accordant Health Services has been awarded Case Management Re-Accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry.  URAC's Case Management Accreditation standards require companies to establish a process to assess, plan and implement case management interventions. Accordant initially received Case Management Accreditation from URAC in 2007.

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"CVS Caremark is honored that Accordant Health Services has received Case Management Re-Accreditation from URAC," said Troyen Brennan, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark.  "We are very pleased to be recognized for providing outstanding services in the industry.  This distinction also underscores the quality of our work with our customers and their members by demonstrating compliance with national standards for case management services."

Accordant Health Services provides health plans and CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) client members with health management solutions including: disease management and case management.  Accordant provides case management services for members with rare, complex medical conditions requiring specialized care.  Because seriously ill members must keep up with numerous doctors, treatments and medications they require extra care and attention to facilitate improved health outcomes, self-management and communication with health care providers.  Our case managers serve as liaisons and advocates, facilitating relationships between members, physicians, specialists, insurance companies and employers to ensure delivery of high-quality care within realistic cost-containment strategies. Our case managers continually evaluate and coordinate treatment progress to make sure participants receive the most appropriate care for their individual needs.

"By applying for and receiving URAC Case Management Accreditation, Accordant has demonstrated a commitment to quality health care," said Alan P. Spielman, URAC president and CEO. "Quality health care is crucial to our nation's welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards and undergo rigorous evaluation by an independent accrediting body."

URAC's Case Management Accreditation standards require companies to establish a process to assess, plan and implement case management interventions. The standards address approaches to ensuring appropriate patient protections have been established, such as policies for confidentiality of patient information, informed consent, dispute resolution, and other issues. The standards also cover staff structure and qualifications, quality improvement, information management, oversight of delegated functions, ethics, complaints, and the case management process.

In addition to meeting mandatory accreditation requirements, Accordant's Case Management program also met five leading indicators identified by URAC as highly effective practices, not widely adopted in the field of Case Management.  These indicators include:

• Requirement for use of plain language in consumer materials
• Assessment of use of plain language in consumer materials
• Provision of relevant guidance to staff that develops or uses consumer materials on how to communicate in ways that are understandable to the consumer
• Requirement that nurses have mandatory case management certification within four years of hire
• Proactive verification activities for licensure and certification

About URAC

An independent, nonprofit organization, URAC is a leader in promoting health care quality through accreditation and certification programs. URAC's standards keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a mark of distinction for health care organizations to demonstrate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in setting meaningful standards for the health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org .

About Accordant Health Services

Accordant Health Services, Inc., a CVS Caremark company based in Greensboro, N.C., focuses on assisting patients who have complex, chronic diseases with the goal of improving clinical, patient satisfaction and cost-of-care outcomes.  Accordant is a leader in population-based disease management for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. Accordant has supported more than 100,000 chronic patients whose participation has been sponsored by their health plan. Accordant's Medical Advisory Board is comprised of national medical experts who participate in the development and continuous quality improvement of the company's programs. For more information about Accordant, visit www.accordant.net or call 1-800-948-2497.

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is the largest pharmacy health care provider in the United States. Through our integrated offerings across the entire spectrum of pharmacy care, we are uniquely positioned to provide greater access, to engage plan members in behaviors that improve their health, and to lower overall health care costs for health plans, plan sponsors and their members. CVS Caremark is a market leader in mail order pharmacy, retail pharmacy, specialty pharmacy, and retail clinics, and is a leading provider of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As one of the country's largest pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), we provide access to a network of more than 64,000 pharmacies, including approximately 7,000 CVS/pharmacy® stores that provide unparalleled service and capabilities. Our clinical expertise includes one of the industry's most comprehensive disease management programs. General information about CVS Caremark is available through the Company's Web site at http://info.cvscaremark.com.

SOURCE CVS Caremark