Definition - What does National Committee on Quality Assurance mean?
The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, non-profit, accrediting organization whose mission is to keep health care standards at a high level across the nation. The National Committee for Quality Assurance, or NCQA, was founded in 1990 and reviews health care providers, hospitals, PPO's, and HMO's. Many employers use NCQA accredidation ratings as a way to compare health plans and providers.
SureHire explains National Committee on Quality Assurance
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), while a private entity, has become the main accreditation group for health insurance and providers. In order to be accredited by the NCQA, organizations and health care providers must go through rigorous testing and examination. Accredited groups gain a seal of approval from the NCQA that they often use in their marketing. However, because it is a private organization, no group is obligated to seek NCQA accreditation.
NCQA also produces reports that follow trends in health care quality, pointing out unnecessary readmission and other failings of health care providers and insurers across the country. Currently, 41 states recognize NCQA accredidation.
