BlueChoice HealthPlan Ranks in Top Third of America's Best Health Plans

COLUMBIA, SC – November 21, 2008 – U.S. News & World Report and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) ranked BlueChoice(R) HealthPlan of South Carolina in the top third of America’s Best Health Plans(TM), published in U.S. News & World Report’s issue this week.

The respected annual ranking ranks the nation’s best health plans based on clinical quality, member satisfaction and NCQA accreditation scores. NCQA and U.S. News & World Report ranked about 239 health plans, and 93 plans chose not to submit data. BlueChoice HealthPlan was ranked 94th.

According to NCQA’s The State of Health Care Quality 2008, the reporting of data by health plans results in change and improvement, which increases the quality of care and improves the quality of life for patients and their families. The power of transparency, measurement and accountability to bring about improvement is best illustrated through one statistic — for the ninth consecutive year, health care delivered by plans that measure and report continued to improve despite rising costs and a slowing national economy. The improvements translate into benefits for people enrolled in accountable plans.

Performing in the top third of health plans nationally is something for which BlueChoice HealthPlan can be very proud, said BlueChoice HealthPlan President Mary Mazzola Spivey. We also ranked ahead of nearly all the plans in the Southeast, which is even more impressive. We continue to further improve our results and rankings and I know these efforts make a difference in the health of our population.

BlueChoice HealthPlan has disease management and chronic condition management programs called Great Expectations(R)+ for health in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, maternity, diabetes, back care, children’s health, depression, heart disease, heart failure, men’s health, women’s health, migraine, weight loss and smoking cessation.