Submitted
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Medicaid health plan in Indiana recently earned the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Equity Accreditation Plus, a recognition of Anthem’s leadership in developing solutions to enhance access to equitable, high-quality healthcare. It further underscores Anthem’s commitment to eliminating health disparities in underserved communities to improve health outcomes and reduce overall treatment costs.
“NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation Plus recognizes our unwavering dedication to eliminating health disparities and helping ensure access to high-quality care for everyone,” said Dr. Kimberly Roop, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Medicaid President in Indiana. “This milestone positions Anthem at the forefront of advancing health equity through our innovative programs that provide access to individualized care to improve the whole health of our members.”
NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Plus builds upon the Health Equity Accreditation designation Anthem received last year, when they were recognized among the first Medicaid plans in the nation to create a strategic framework that prioritizes health equity based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
The new Health Equity Accreditation Plus goes a step further by acknowledging Anthem’s data-driven approach to help identify and collect information on individuals’ social needs. This data enables Anthem to develop personalized services and supports to combat health inequities, leveraging partnerships with community-based organizations (CBOs) to help improve the health outcomes of individuals.
Anthem is advancing its health equity mission through various innovative programs including:
- A dedicated team of associates who are experts in health-related social needs including employment, education, housing, food, and transportation that help members navigate barriers to improved health by collaborating with CBOs.
- The Social Determinants of Health Case Management program which provides interventions that address the social needs and risks of members tailored to their unique needs and circumstances.
- Community health workers who identify and engage key members impacted by physical and behavioral health conditions given their geography, demographics, race, or ethnicity to address their ongoing health needs through a personalized whole health approach.
“Racial and ethnic disparities have hindered quality healthcare progression for many Americans,” NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane said. “Organizations earning the Health Equity Accreditation Plus like Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana are leading the way in bridging this gap, and NCQA salutes their commitment.”