Report Gives California Insurers Mixed Scores for Preventive Care
California health plans are achieving above-average scores for some preventive care measures while falling short in others, according to a 2009 report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, Payers & Providers reports.
Higher Than Average
The NCQA report found that seven California health plans exceeded the national average score of 70.2% for breast cancer screenings.
All but one California health plan topped the NCQA average of 92.4% for providing appropriate medication to asthma patients, and many state health plans also exceeded national averages for cervical and colorectal cancer screenings.
Lower Than Average
However, the NCQA report found that only three California health plans exceeded the national average of 75.6% for treating children with sore throats, and just one plan met or topped the NCQA average of 78.9% for regular monitoring of patients on persistent medications.
Preliminary data also indicated that Anthem Blue Cross of California's PPO scored significantly lower than national averages for:
- Colorectal cancer screenings;
- Managing care for diabetic patients with high blood pressure; and
- Managing care for diabetic patients with normal blood pressure.
Anthem Blue Cross is the state's largest for-profit health plan (Payers & Providers, 10/29).
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