(NCQA: Washington) -- Fourteen of the nation’s leading preferred provider organizations (PPOs) covering 10.2 million U.S. citizens are among the first to come forward for evaluation under NCQA’s new Health Plan Accreditation standards. The program evaluates PPO and managed-care plans under a common set of standards, allowing consumers, employers, and other purchasers of health care to make understandable, reliable comparisons among different types of health plans to better inform their health care choices.

PPOs haven’t historically engaged in systematic clinical quality reporting efforts. “The millions of Americans enrolled in PPO plans deserve information about how well their plans help protect and promote their health,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA president.

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