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Vista Healthplan achieves national accreditation
Three-year accreditation is highest level of achievement
HOLLYWOOD - September 3, 2003 - Vista Healthplan of South Florida, Inc. (VISTA), a health benefits company, announced today that it has achieved a three-year accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). The accreditation includes the plan's commercial, Medicare and Medicaid HMOs.
Status as an accredited health plan means VISTA has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for quality and access to care, set by the AAAHC. The recognition further illustrates to consumers that access to quality health care can complement efforts to help contain skyrocketing health care costs.
"Accreditation underscores our commitment to provide access to affordable quality health care to VISTA members and employers in South Florida," said Joe Berding, VISTA's chief executive officer. "We are pleased and proud to have our efforts recognized with this accreditation."
Organizations seeking AAAHC accreditation undergo a rigorous and extensive on-site survey of system wide mechanisms for evaluating providers of care functioning within managed care systems, and for assuring standards of compliance. The standards address such critical issues as the organization's communication mechanisms to patient members; grievance resolution systems; consumer information; appeals procedures; and utilization management.
About AAAHC
Founded in 1979, the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) serves as an advocate for the provision of high quality health care, through the development of nationally recognized standards and through its survey and accreditation programs. Currently more than 1,700 organizations are accredited by AAAHC nation-wide. AAAHC is recognized as a symbol of quality by third party payors, medical organizations, liability insurance companies, state and federal agencies and the public. AAAHC accreditation is recognized by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services and is the largest non-hospital deeming organization for Medicare participation in the country. For more information, contact AAAHC at www.aaahc.org
About Vista Healthplan of South Florida
Vista Healthplan of South Florida is an affiliate of the VISTA family of health benefits companies. Headquartered in Hollywood, Florida, VISTA companies provide health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO), point-of-service (POS), Medicare+Choice and Medicaid plans to approximately 330,000 members through employers, government-sponsored groups and individuals primarily in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
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