Highmark's SecurityBlue HMO Medicare Advantage Product Ranked 29th in Nation

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Highmark Inc.'s SecurityBlue HMO, a Medicare Advantage health plan in Western Pennsylvania, was ranked 29th out of 183 plans nationally, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), 2010-2011 Health Plan Rankings released today.

Improving its rank from 32 to 29 puts Highmark in the top 30 Medicare managed care plans in the country. SecurityBlue HMO continued to score higher than the national average for 17 of the 19 Medicare HMO scored measures and improved in the areas of customer satisfaction, prevention and treatment.

"We are proud to be the largest Medicare Advantage carrier in Western Pennsylvania, and the NCQA ranking underscores our efforts to provide quality health plans to thousands of local seniors," said Cindy Dellecker, Highmark's senior vice president of senior markets.

With more than 150,000 members, SecurityBlue is offered to all Medicare-eligible individuals residing in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

About Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

In 2009, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield provided financial support of $133 million for programs in support of its corporate mission to provide access to affordable, quality health care enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A recent study states that Highmark's positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion. The company serves 3.1 million members and employs more than 5,000 people in the region.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.

About the National Committee for Quality Assurance

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2010, NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

SOURCE Highmark Inc.