UPMC for You Ranks As Top-10 Health Plan for Medicaid for Third Consecutive Year

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ — UPMC Health Plan’s Medicaid program, UPMC for You, ranked among the top-10 Medicaid health plans in the United States for the third consecutive year, according to a recent review by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and U.S. News & World Report.

Data from NCQA, a national organization that reviews and ranks health plans on quality and preventive health measures, also showed that for the third consecutive year UPMC for You is the top Medical Assistance health plan in Pennsylvania. Rankings appear in the November 6, 2006, issue of U.S. News & World Report.

UPMC for You’s No. 8 national ranking is based on NCQA’s review of preventive health and quality data. Among the parameters NCQA measures are immunization rates, breast cancer screening, customer service, and quality of care.

UPMC for You received five stars (the highest ranking) for two categories, “Access to Care,” and “Prevention.”

“UPMC for You now has a track record of ranking among the best preventive health programs in the country,” said Diane P. Holder, president of UPMC Health Plan. “The recent NCQA report is an indication that UPMC for You and its network providers have succeeded year after year in providing care at the highest quality level.”

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and manages the evolution of HEDIS, the tool NCQA uses to measure and report on the performance of the nation’s health plans.

About UPMC Health Plan

UPMC Health Plan, the second-largest health insurer in Western Pennsylvania, is owned by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the nation’s top-ranked health systems. As part of an integrated health care delivery system, UPMC Health Plan partners with UPMC and community network providers to improve clinical outcomes as well as the health of the greater community. According to the U.S. News & World Report/NCQA’s listing of “America’s Best Health Plans,” UPMC Health Plan is the top-ranked health plan in Pennsylvania and one of the top 10 health plans in the nation. The Health Plan is also the highest-ranked managed care company in the nation for breast cancer screening for the third consecutive year. The integrated partner companies of the UPMC Insurance Services Division – which includes UPMC Health Plan, Work Partners, EAP Solutions, UPMC for You (Medical Assistance), and Community Care Behavioral Health – offer a full range of group health insurance, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medical Assistance, behavioral health, employee assistance, and workers’ compensation products and services to over 900,000 members. Our local provider network includes UPMC as well as community providers, totaling more than 80 hospitals and more than 7,000 physicians in a 28-county region.

UPMC Health Plan

CONTACT: Michael Taylor of UPMC Health Plan, +1-412-454-7534

Web site: http://www.upmchealthplan.com/