Annual Report Finds No Improvement in Quality of Health Care Plans
For the third year in a row in the U.S., the quality of commercial health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid programs has not improved, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance's 2009 report released on Thursday, CQ HealthBeat reports.
Examining more than 900 health plans that cover 116 million U.S. residents, the report found that 60% of residents are not covered by an accountable health care plan.
The report also found that the quality of care varies dramatically by geographic regions -- with the Deep South and South Atlantic areas having the worst quality levels.
According to the report, if all U.S. health care providers offered the same quality of care as the best 10% of plans, 115,300 deaths could be prevented.
The report found no correlation between health care spending and quality of care. It also said that some plans overspend with varying results on conditions like diabetes and asthma, while other plans often have better results with less expensive treatments (Litvin, CQ HealthBeat, 10/22). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.