Buckeye Community Health Plan Receives Prestigious NCQA Accreditation

Buckeye Community Health Plan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), today announced it has received Accreditation Status by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA has granted Buckeye Accreditation Status from April 3, 2007, through April 3, 2010, under the New Health Plan (NHP) Accreditation Program.
 
"Health plans that step forward to participate in NCQA’s New Health Plan Accreditation program early on in their history are to be especially commended," said Margaret O’Kane, NCQA President. "Our standards are rigorous, and by meeting them Buckeye Community Health Plan has shown that it is well designed and serious about the quality of care it provides."

The NHP Program is based on a core set of standards and is available to health plans that are less than three years old. NHP accreditation evaluates how well a plan manages its clinical and administrative systems in order to continuously improve its members’ health. The NCQA mission is to improve the quality of healthcare, and it is governed by a board of directors that includes employers, consumer, and labor representatives, health plans, quality experts, regulators, and representatives from organized medicine. NCQA’s NHP Accreditation Program applies to health plans that are less than 36 months old. This program is distinct from NCQA’s Managed Care Organization Program.

"We at Buckeye are very proud of our high standards of excellence and this prestigious recognition by NCQA," said Kathleen R. Crampton, Buckeye’s President and CEO. "This accreditation is a reflection of our shared commitment with the state of Ohio and our network of physicians and other provider partners to deliver quality healthcare to Ohio Medicaid recipients," concluded Crampton.

Buckeye Community Health Plan is a health maintenance organization that has been providing services in Ohio since 2004. Buckeye is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading multi-line healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services.