WHY WE’RE HERE Our Mission: Improve the quality of health care. Our Vision: Better health care. Better choices. Better health. NCQA: Points the way to health care that science says works. Studies how well health plans and doctors provide scientifically recommended care. Identifies organizations that are run in ways that make care better. OUR WORK: Saves thousands of lives. Helps millions of people stay healthy. Saves the country billions of dollars. The NCQA seal is a widely recognized symbol of quality. Organizations incorporating the seal into advertising and marketing materials must first pass a rigorous, comprehensive review and must annually report on their performance. NCQA’s programs and services reflect a straightforward formula for improvement: Measure. Analyze. Improve. Repeat. NCQA makes this process possible in health care by developing quality standards and performance measures for a broad range of health care entities. NCQA’s contribution to the health care system is measured through statistics that track the quality of care delivered by the nation’s health plans. Every year for the past five years, these numbers have improved; health care protocols have been refined, doctors have learned new ways to practice, and patients have become more engaged in their care. Those improvements in quality care translate into lives saved, illnesses avoided and costs reduced. NCQA consistently raises the bar. Accredited health plans today face a rigorous set of standards and must report on their performance in more than 40 areas in order to earn NCQA’s seal of approval. These standards promote the adoption of strategies that we believe will improve care, enhance service and reduce costs.