Global Warming May Up Allergies, Asthma	Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:00:18 EST
Global warming will likely worsen allergies by boosting plants and pollen, and also increase asthma through bad air, a new research review shows.

HMOs that earn NCQA Accreditation tend to outperform non-accredited HMOs. NCQA Accreditation recognizes the commitment of our organization to provide quality health care to you. It also demonstrates that we have incorporated quality improvements into the fabric of our daily lives.

Our accreditation status is the highest level possible. It was awarded after rigorous evaluation by NCQA of all aspects of our HMO. Experts looked at:

• services we offer to prevent illness
• member satisfaction
• quality improvement

The review included both on- and off-site evaluations. A team of doctors and HMO experts did the review. A committee of doctors then reviewed the team's findings. The committee assigned us Excellent status. This is based on our performance compared to NCQA standards.

We are very proud of our achievement. Not only in terms of what it means to us. But also what it means to you. You can be confident in the quality of health care we provide. Thank you for choosing Great Lakes Health Plan. If you have any questions about our Accreditation, please contact our customer services department at 1.800.903.5253.

According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s The State of Health Care Quality 2006 Report, the quality of health care for millions of Americans improved in most areas of care in 2005, the seventh consecutive year of such gains. MQIC recommends cancer screenings to improve mortality and reduce the cost of health care for breast, cervical and colon cancer treatment. For more information about MQIC, please visit the group's Web site at mqic.org or view the following Prevention Measures.