IEHP earns NCQA Health Equity Accreditation

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) received Health Equity Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), becoming the second public health plan in the state to earn the designation.

"Obtaining NCQA Health Equity Accreditation further validates and reinforces IEHP's long-standing commitment to population health models that address health care, social drivers of health, and disparities to improve community health outcomes and equity in the Inland Empire," said Lorena Chandler, IEHP's vice president and chief health equity officer.

According to the NCQA, standards for the Health Equity Accreditation program focuses on the foundation of health equity work by:

• Building an internal culture that supports the organization's external health equity work.
• Collecting data that help the organization create and offer language services and provider networks mindful of individuals' cultural and linguistic needs.
• Identifying opportunities to reduce health inequities and improve care.

"Earning Health Equity Accreditation shows that an organization is making a breakthrough in providing excellent health care to diverse populations. I congratulate any organization that achieves this level of distinction," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health care is essential to improving the quality of care overall."

Looking ahead, 2024 is expected to be a busy year for IEHP with its entrance into the Covered California health care exchange. Health Equity Accreditation is required by Covered California as part of its quality program requirements, and with open enrollment ending on Jan. 31, news of the accreditation was announced by NCQA officials in late December. Organizations may apply for renewal every three years.

"The exercise to achieve accreditation reinforced that we have a strong foundation in place to help move IEHP's mission for health equity forward," Chandler said. "By 'looking under the hood,' it became evident that we have an abundance of equity-rich assets within our four walls here at IEHP, and I am excited to amplify and leverage these assets in our quest toward closing the disparities that are evident in our vulnerable populations."

About IEHP

With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans, the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid public health plan in the country, and for the third year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work®. In its 27th year, IEHP supports more than 1.6 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice (those with both Medi-Cal and Medicare). Today, IEHP has a growing network of nearly 6,800 providers and more than 3,000 team members who are fully committed to the vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. To learn more, go to iehp.org.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

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SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)