Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., is one of the nation’s top 20 Medicare plans, and offers the 37th best commercial health plan, according to U.S. News & World Report/NCQA America’s Best Health Insurance Plans1 2009-10.

Security Health Plan has been the most highly ranked Medicare plan in Wisconsin for the past five years. People who are eligible for Medicare can make coverage changes November 15 through December 31.

The recognition, announced today, was made through the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in partnership with U.S. News & World Report. NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America’s health care.

“The rankings are an objective demonstration of the level of care that each Security Health Plan member receives,” said Steve Youso, chief administrative officer of Security Health Plan. “We invest in many programs designed to make a healthy difference in our members’ lives. The rigorous analysis shows that we are making a difference — ranked among national leaders in medical outcomes and member satisfaction.”

Health plans were ranked in the following areas: access to care, overall member satisfaction, and delivery of preventive services and treatment. Making sure members receive the care they need is a large part of the ranking. This includes a wide range of services such as asthma medication use, diabetes care, and breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening. The rankings also reflect the level of member satisfaction with care and experience with providers and health care facilities.

More than 700 health plans across the nation voluntarily reported their commercial, Medicare and Medicaid data to NCQA. This is the fifth consecutive year Security Health Plan has been ranked and listed as one of the best health plans in the country.

Russ Kuzel, M.D., chief medical officer of Security Health Plan, said the rankings can help to inform the national debate on health reform.

“We already do many of the things that health reform legislation is designed to encourage — like ensuring members receive needed preventive care and helping them to manage ongoing health conditions so that they stay healthy and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. These initiatives not only improve quality but also help to control costs. We hope that as Congress works on health care reform, it recognizes the investments being made by Security Health Plan and other highly ranked plans, designing legislation that will reward continual quality improvement.”

“We couldn’t be consistently ranked without our partnership with Marshfield Clinic and all of the physicians and other health care providers who serve our members,” Youso added. “Our members place a great deal of trust in their providers, and appreciate the quality of care they receive. We thank our employees, providers and members for this outstanding recognition.”

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