Gold Coast Health Plan Achieves Nationally Recognized Health Equity Accreditation

Local Medi-Cal plan is committed to understanding and meeting the diverse needs of its members

CAMARILLO, Calif., Sept. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) today announced that it has achieved Health Equity Accreditation (HEA) from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.

NCQA's Health Equity Accreditation evaluates how well an organization complies with standards in the following areas: organizational readiness; race / ethnicity, language, gender identity and sexual orientation; access and availability of language services; practitioner network cultural responsiveness; culturally and linguistically appropriate services programs; and reducing health care disparities.

In their review of GCHP's submission, the NCQA evaluators noted GCHP's "dedicated and knowledgeable staff" and its strengths in "assessing and addressing the cultural, ethnic, racial and linguistic needs of its members."

"Achieving Health Equity Accreditation is a testament to the unwavering commitment we share across the organization to advance health equity for our members," said Dr. Felix Nuñez, GCHP's chief executive officer (CEO). "This was a tremendous effort that we will continue to build on to ensure we are meeting the unique needs of our members."

GCHP's health equity ensures members:

• Have access to a network of health care professionals and a health plan with the capability to meet the diverse health care needs of its members.
• Can speak and be understood in their language of choice when seeking care from health professionals or interacting with GCHP staff.
• Receive treatment and services from providers that are rooted in cultural respect and awareness.

"This is a historic moment for both Gold Coast Health Plan and Ventura County," said GCHP Chief Medical Officer Dr. James Cruz, who oversees the health plan's health equity program. "Health Care research has repeatedly shown that advancing health equity ensures people live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Our members – and the communities in which they reside – all benefit from this work."

Later this year, GCHP will also be pursuing NCQA Health Plan Accreditation, a widely recognized, evidence-based program dedicated to quality improvement and measurement. It provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to align and improve operations in areas that are most important to states, employers and consumers. It's the only evaluation program that bases results on actual measurement of clinical performance (HEDIS® measures) and consumer experience (CAHPS® measures).

About Gold Coast Health Plan
Gold Coast Health Plan proudly serves about 245,000 Medi-Cal members in Ventura County through its network of primary care physicians, specialists, behavioral health providers and hospitals. Since its founding in 2011, Gold Coast Health Plan has been committed to providing access to high-quality care and improving its members' health, including 1 in 3 county residents, 1 in 6 seniors, and 1 in 2 children under the age of 5. To learn more, visit: www.goldcoasthealthplan.org.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, nonprofit 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's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

SOURCE Gold Coast Health Plan