News briefs

NCQA offers on-line resource

The Washington, DC-based National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has unveiled its Health Plan Report Card, the first resource on the Web to give consumers free access to comprehensive information about the clinical performance, member satisfaction, access to care, and overall quality of the nation’s managed care plans. NCQA expects to make the Report Card available on other select Web sites, and — in a customized format — on various companies’ intranet sites.

The Health Plan Report Card, accessible via NCQA’s home page — www.ncqa.org — generates a document showing quality information about all participating health plans that match the search criteria. Plans earn from zero to four stars in five key areas. For more information, contact: Brian Schilling, NCQA, 2000 L St. N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC. Telephone: (202) 955-5104. t

PPO joins pharmacy benefits firm

CCN, a San Diego-based managed care organization, is partnering with INTEQ, a nationwide pharmacy benefits management company, to help reduce pharmacy costs for workers’ compensation while giving injured individuals access to quality care through CCN’s national provider network. For more information, contact: Terry Merryman, CCN, 5251 Viewridge Court, San Diego, CA 92123. Telephone: (858) 654-2202.