BOSTON - August 25, 2008 - The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) awarded its highest rating of Excellent Accreditation to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) for the company's managed care products including: HMO Blue, Blue Choice and Medicare HMO Blue.  

The Excellent designation is reserved for the best health plans in the nation. It is awarded exclusively to those plans that meet or exceed NCQA's rigorous requirements for consumer protection, quality improvement and the delivery of excellent care. HEDIS® results are in the upper range of national performance.

Blue Care Elect, the preferred provider organization (PPO) in New England, also received Full Accreditation. 

 "To earn Full Accreditation from NCQA, a PPO must adhere to a rigorous set of requirements designed to keep patients safe and to ensure that they have access to care and excellent service," explained Margaret E. O'Kane, NCQA President. "It is a significant achievement, and we commend any PPO that steps forward to participate in the process. It shows that the organization is committed to quality."

"At BCBSMA we are committed to working with others to achieve the kind of health care system we all want - one that provides safe, timely, effective, affordable and patient centered care for all," said Cleve Killingsworth, President and CEO of BCBSMA. "NCQA's accreditation process takes into account all of these important factors, and we are proud to have received the highest level of accreditation from NCQA."

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (http://www.bluecrossma.com) was was founded 71 years ago by a group of community-minded business leaders.  Today, headquartered in Boston, BCBSMA provides coverage to more than 3 million members.  BCBSMA believes in rewarding doctors and hospitals for delivering safe and effective care, and in empowering patients to take more responsibility, become educated health care consumers and become stronger partners with their doctors.  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).