QI Report
Magellan Earns and Maintains Accreditations
Magellan continues to serve as an industry leader in accreditations earned and maintained. In the third quarter of 2008, Magellan participated in an annual National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) managed behavioral health organization (MBHO) corporate survey, which reviewed 50 elements from 26 of NCQA’s MBHO standards. Magellan earned a full score on all of the reviewed elements, which accounts for 34 percent of the total score; NCQA evaluates the remaining standards and elements every three years at our Care Management Center sites.
Currently, five of Magellan’s Care Management Centers have earned full, three-year MBHO NCQA accreditation. Most recently, the Southeast (GA) and Southwest (TX) centers were reviewed and accredited. Two additional centers, Northeast (NJ) and Tristate (OH), will be participating in surveys in the fourth quarter of this year.
Additionally, in 2008, Magellan’s Credentialing Verification Organization (CVO), which conducts primary source verifications for the credentialing/re-credentialing of practitioners, earned a two-year re-certification by NCQA.
Magellan also maintained its full accreditation earned from the Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) under both the Health Utilization Management Standards and the Case Management Standards. A third-year extension of the accreditations was granted by URAC following the review in 2007. Magellan successfully completed a monitoring audit by URAC in 2008, and will pursue its re-accreditation under both sets of standards in 2010.
Magellan’s Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) maintained its full, four-year accreditation through January 31, 2011, from the Council of Accreditation (COA). Magellan is one of only five EAP vendors in the U.S. and Canada to hold joint accreditation with COA. Magellan helped COA in the development of these standards by participating in the beta rollout of the program in 2000. Magellan completed its annual status update, called the Maintenance of Accreditation Report, in January, 2008.
“These accreditation successes serve as evidence of Magellan’s unwavering commitment to excellence and our willingness to submit to independent, impartial scrutiny,” according to Russell Dickinson, national director of quality and accreditation for Magellan.