2008 Press Releases

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LIFEMASTERS RECEIVES FULL ACCREDITATION FOR DISEASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS IRVINE, Calif., November 5, 2008 - LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, a national provider of health improvement programs and services, announced today that it has once again received Full Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its disease management (DM) programs for asthma, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary artery disease, diabetes and hypertension. The NCQA accreditation is a full, three-year renewal of patient and practitioner accreditation status. LifeMasters disease management programs were accredited by NCQA in 2002 and renewed in 2005. Full Accreditation is awarded to organizations that meet or exceed NCQA's standards for DM accreditation. "LifeMasters strives to continuously improve its programs by using science-based formal processes and tools to evaluate the performance of each population. NCQA accreditation reflects this ongoing commitment to deliver best-in-class disease management programs that help participants achieve optimal health and reduce healthcare cost trends for our clients," said LifeMasters CEO Christobel Selecky. "We are proud that once again our programs have exceeded the nation's highest quality standards." NCQA's disease management accreditation requires effective performance in six major areas: program content, patient services, practitioner services, clinical systems, measurement of quality improvement and program operations. "NCQA's Disease Management accreditation program is thorough and rigorous. It's designed to highlight only those programs that truly improve chronic care," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "LifeMasters is to be commended for coming forward to be reviewed." NCQA accreditation standards are developed from input from researchers in the field, the Disease Management Advisory Council, and standing committees, employers, both purchasers and operators of disease management programs, state and federal regulators and other experts. The standards are purposely set high to encourage organizations to continuously enhance their quality. About NCQA NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas. 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 through the Web, media, and data licensing agreements, in order to help consumers, employers, and others make more informed health care choices. For more information, visit www.ncqa.org.

Media Contact: Abbie Pauley LifeMasters 412-926-7093 apauley@lifemasters.com