title: The high price of quality: a cost analysis of NCQA accreditation.
abstract: Payers and consumers across the United States are expressing discontent with their health plans. We are witnessing a market-based demand for accreditation as a guarantee of acceptable quality in health services. Increasingly, accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is being viewed as the "gold standard" for health plans. This article presents a model for allocating resources and a cost analysis of anticipated expenditures associated with achieving this objective.
authors.affiliation: The Mihalik Group, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Mihalik
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Schreter
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management / Q000191:economics; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000191:economics; D011367:Professional Staff Committees / Q000191:economics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States