Care Improvement Plus, one of the nation’s largest chronic condition Special Needs Plans (SNPs), announced today that it has received top scores from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the evaluation of its structure and process measures. The measures are the first in a series of new requirements evaluating the performance of SNPs in providing high quality care and improving health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for the comprehensive nature of our approach to managing the care of our chronically ill members,” said Frederick C. Dunlap, board chairman and chief executive officer of XLHealth, which owns and operates Care Improvement Plus. “The successful completion of these reporting requirements is an important first step toward securing a permanent place within Medicare for special needs plans.”

In December of 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced plans to contract with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to implement a three phase strategy to evaluate SNPs. The first phase of the evaluation process includes a review of a set of structure and process measures that are scored by a team of clinical quality experts. Plans are scored based on their ability to meet required elements concerning case management, member satisfaction, and clinical quality improvements. In addition, during the first phase 13 HEDIS® measures will be used to further evaluate the quality of care SNPs are providing.

Created by the federal government through the Medicare Modernization Act, SNPs are Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans designed to meet the unique needs of certain groups of Medicare beneficiaries, including those with chronic health conditions, those that reside in institutions, and those that are dual-eligible.

Care Improvement Plus offers a variety of services and added benefits to help members manage their conditions and prevent complications. Care Improvement Plus offers services exclusively to approximately 1.4 million Medicare beneficiaries in the states of Maryland, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas living with diabetes, heart failure, end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

About Care Improvement Plus

Care Improvement Plus (http://www.careimprovementplus.com), a special needs health plan that focuses on the unique healthcare needs of chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries, provides Medicare Advantage health plan coverage, along with a tailored Medicare Part D drug benefit and care management services, to Medicare beneficiaries living with heart failure, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or end-stage renal disease. Care Improvement Plus also provides a variety of services designed to support physicians’ efforts to care for their chronically ill patients.

About XLHealth

XLHealth (http://www.xlhealth.com), a Baltimore-based organization focused on improving the healthcare of chronically ill seniors, is the owner and operator of Care Improvement Plus, one of the nation’s largest chronic condition special needs plans. Care Improvement Plus provides a complete Medicare Advantage Part D health plan including disease management services to Medicare beneficiaries living with heart failure, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and/or end-stage renal disease. XLHealth has earned Full Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) under its standards for patient and practitioner-oriented accreditation of disease management programs.