ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, August 22, 1996              TAG: 9608220023
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-8  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press

LIST TO HELP SHOP FOR BEST HMOS SERVICE'S DATA GEARED FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The nation's most prominent HMO watchdog group unveiled a plan Wednesday to help Americans shop around for the best health maintenance organizations.

The group's report ``will make it possible ... to compare the quality of hundreds of health plans in a way that was previously unthinkable,'' according to Margaret E. O'Kane, president of National Committee for Quality Assurance.

``That provides a powerful incentive for plans to improve and compete on the basis of quality,'' she said.

Under the ``Quality Compass'' program, NCQA has written tables and computer programs to evaluate 236 different health care systems serving 28 million people.

Included are the percentage of health plan members who get childhood immunizations, cholesterol screenings, mammograms and pap tests for cancer, pre-natal care, and follow-ups after mental health problems. It also will judge HMO efforts to keep asthmatics out of the hospital and how often they offer eye exams to prevent blindness in diabetics.

NCQA will charge between $500 and $3,200 for the data, based on the number of health plans purchased.

While that will probably put it out of reach of most individuals, NCQA said it can be bought by small businesses who want to offer their workers a way to compare health plans, but can't afford to hire a consultant to do so.

Companies purchasing the data can format it into most computer software programs used by their employees, and individuals will be able to access it through computers in some public libraries.

NCQA said the Quality Compass program will be updated twice a year. The group also will require health care companies to provide independent auditor reports guaranteeing the accuracy of the information they submit.

There are nearly 600 HMOs in the nation, which means this phase of the NCQA effort covers less than half.

In addition, the information covers mostly preventive-care measures, and won't cover quality-of-care for most routine health matters until at least 1997, when NCQA expands its evaluations.

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