NCQA Rates MeridianHealth among Top-Performing Medicaid Plans in Illinois

CHICAGO and TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Health Plan of Illinois, Inc. (Meridian), a WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) company, rated among the top Medicaid plans in the state, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Medicaid Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2019-2020.

NCQA, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality, publicly released its 2019-20 Health Insurance Plan Ratings at healthinsuranceratings.ncqa.org. The annual report rates more than 1,000 commercial, Medicaid and Medicare health insurance plans based on consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment.

NCQA evaluated Meridian's performance based on three areas: consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. Meridian received an overall score of 3.5 out of 5—the highest score achieved in the state in 2019.

Among the highlights, Meridian:

• Earned 5 out of 5 in public health categories such as following up on emergency room behavioral health visits, controlling opioid use and ensuring proper treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• Scored 4 out of 5 in several preventive and treatment areas, including women's reproductive health, diabetic eye exams and heart disease treatment control; and,
• Scored the highest rating for ensuring postpartum visits in the state.

"Meridian is honored to be recognized as one of the top Medicaid plans in our state," said Karen Brach, Meridian state president in Illinois. "These ratings display Meridian's commitment to member-focused care and our dedication to the overall well-being of our members."

Meridian's Medicaid plan in Illinois has achieved an accreditation status of "Accredited" from NCQA.

As of June 30, 2019, Meridian Health Plan of Illinois serves approximately 801,000 Medicaid members, 27,000 Medicare Advantage members and 58,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) members.

About NCQA Ratings
NCQA ratings are based on three types of quality measures: measures of clinical quality from NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®); measures of consumer satisfaction using Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®); and results from NCQA's review of a health plan's health quality processes (i.e., performance on NCQA accreditation standards). NCQA rates health plans that report quality information publicly. For a more detailed review of the latest NCQA health insurance plan ratings report, visit: https://www.ncqa.org/hedis/reports-and-research/ratings-2019/.

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's website (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.

About WellCare Health Plans
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace. WellCare serves approximately 6.3 million members nationwide as of June 30, 2019. For more information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at www.wellcare.com.

SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.