ValueOptions® Receives NCQA CVO Certification

NORFOLK, Va., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueOptions^®, a health improvement company that specializes in mental and emotional wellbeing and recovery, announced today that they are fully certified by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for 10 out of 10 verification services.

"The NCQA CVO certification confirms our emphasis on the highest quality in every area of our organization and, most importantly, reflects our dedication to provide our membership with excellent clinical care," said Deborah Hirschfelder, ValueOptions Vice President of Quality Management. "This is an important recognition of our commitment to the work we do and the people we serve."

CVO Certification is a quality assessment program that health care organizations can use to assess Credentials Verification Organizations and other organizations that verify the credentials of physicians. CVO Certification evaluates a CVO's management of various aspects of its data collection and verification operation, and the process it uses to continuously improve the services it provides.

CVO Certification reduces duplicative oversight and inefficient gathering of information by health plans and CVOs. CVO Certification includes rigorous on-site evaluations conducted by a team of health care professionals and certified credentialing specialists. A national oversight committee of physicians analyzes the team's finding and determines certification based on the CVO's compliance with NCQA standards. CVO Certification is governed by NCQA's rigorous Standards for Certification, developed with the assistance of representatives from the credentials verification industry, as well as input from managed care organizations. The review process for CVO certification is voluntary.

Certification is awarded to participating organizations on the basis of individual credentials elements. Organizations may be certified for all, some, or none of the 10 credentials elements addressed in the NCQA Standards; ValueOptions received certification in all 10 credentials verification services. These elements are: 

• License to practice  
• Malpractice Claims History 
• DEA Registration  
• Medicaid/Medicare Sanctions 
• Medical Board Sanctions  
• Work History 
• Education and Training 
• Practitioner Application Processing 
• Ongoing Monitoring 
• CVO Application and Attestation Content

"Achieving CVO certification from NCQA demonstrates that ValueOptions has the systems, process and personnel in place to thoroughly and accurately verify providers' credentials and help health plan clients meet their accreditation goals," said Margaret E. O'Kane, NCQA President.

About ValueOptions
ValueOptions^® is a health improvement company that serves more than 32 million individuals. On behalf of employers, health plans and government agencies, we manage innovative programs and solutions that directly address the challenges our health care system faces today. A national leader in the fields of mental and emotional wellbeing, recovery and resilience, employee assistance, and wellness, ValueOptions helps people make the difficult life changes needed to be healthier and more productive. With offices nationwide and a network of more than 130,000 provider locations, ValueOptions helps people take important steps in the right direction. We help them live their lives to the fullest potential. Visit www.valueoptions.com for more information.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit 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 is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

SOURCE ValueOptions