OTHER NEWS - April 16, 1996

Kaiser Gets Key Accreditation: A national quality review group has awarded the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in Southern California its highest level of accreditation. The National Committee for Quality Assurance, an independent organization that reviews managed-care programs, gave Kaiser a three-year accreditation. The NCQA approval process, which is voluntary, has become a widely sought-after indicator of quality among managed-care plans. A growing number of employers are requiring health insurance plans to seek NCQA accreditation before they will offer the plans to workers. Kaiser Permanente has 2.2 million members in Southern California.