The CVO certification program, launched in October 1995, helps eliminate duplicative oversight processes and eases the administrative burden of both health plans and CVOs. NCQA certification takes the place of the many separate reviews conducted by CVO health plan clients seeking to comply with NCQA's MCO accreditation standards. Stand-alone CVOs also remain eligible. The survey process remains unchanged and continues to include an on-site review of the organization's policies and procedures, internal quality assurance processes, mechanisms for maintaining credentials integrity and confidentiality, physician application components, and capabilities for ongoing data collection and reporting of physician disciplinary actions. A typical survey team will include one credentialing or medical staff services professional surveyor and one administrative surveyor.
Surveys generally last two days.
The second round of surveys will take place between September and December, 1996. NCQA expects to begin accepting applications for CVO reviews again in early 1997, perhaps on an ongoing basis. Eligible CVOs must have been in business for at least six months and must be currently providing credentials verification services. CVOs that applied to participate in the first round of reviews but which were not accepted due to the limited availability of survey dates will automatically receive an application to participate in the second round of surveys. An independent, non-profit watchdog organization, NCQA is widely recognized as the leader in the effort to assess, measure and report on the quality of care provided by the nation's managed care organizations.