Learn about the Accreditations Blue KC has earned.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) is committed to providing quality healthcare coverage for you as well as providing innovative programs designed to improve your wellness and quality of life. Blue KC is proud to have the recognition of two national accreditation organizations for having both high-quality health insurance plan service and innovative clinical programs.
NCQA Accreditation
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private organization with the mission of improving the quality of healthcare through measurement, transparency and accountability. The accreditation process is a comprehensive evaluation of the service, clinical quality, structure and operations of a health insurance plan based on a set of standardized performance measurements. To learn more about NCQA and its accreditation process, visit the NCQA site.
Blue KC is First in Country to Receive Wellness & Health Promotion (WHP) Accreditation from NCQA
Blue KC is proud to be the first in the country to earn NCQA’s Wellness & Health Promotion (WHP) Accreditation. The WHP program is a comprehensive assessment of key areas of health promotion, including how wellness programs are implemented in the workplace, how services such as coaching are provided to help participants develop skills to make healthy choices, and how individual health information is properly safeguarded.
NCQA's standardized WHP measures allow employers and others who contract with organizations that provide health promotion services to make informed comparisons when choosing among several vendors.
Blue KC is proud to be the first entity in the country to be accredited for its Wellness & Health Promotion programs. Read more about NCQA’s recognition of Blue KC and our groundbreaking accreditation status.
 | “Accredited” for Health & Wellness Programs, for Blue KC’s “A Healthier You” Program |
Besides the WHP Accreditation, Blue KC has received the following NCQA Accreditation ratings:  | “Excellent” for BlueCare® HMO (the highest rating awarded) |
 | “Full” for Preferred-Care Blue® PPO |
 | Blue KC has also achieved NCQA Quality Plus distinction in two areas: |
Quality Plus recognizes innovative plans that lead the market in areas such as leveraging the Web to promote members’ self-management of chronic conditions, allowing members to track claims online, adopting innovative disease management programs and delivering high-value health care.
URAC Accreditation
Originally, URAC was known by the name “Utilization Review Accreditation Commission.” However, that name was shortened to just the acronym “URAC” because URAC began accrediting other types of organizations such as health insurance plans and preferred provider organizations. To learn more about URAC and its accreditation process, visit the URAC site.
Blue KC has received URAC accreditation in the following programs:
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Health Provider Credentialing – We ensure that physicians and other providers participating in healthcare networks have the appropriate credentials, qualifications and licensure. This accreditation applies to all of Blue KC’s networks including Blue-Advantage Plus, BlueCare®, Preferred-Care®, Preferred-Care Blue®, Preferred-Care Dental and the networks of Blue KC’s affiliates. Case Management – We use case management to better meet members’ needs and improve their treatment outcomes by coordinating the full continuum of care. This accreditation applies to Blue KC’s case management program for our FEP® members. |
| | Health Utilization Management – We ensure that utilization review is conducted following a process that is clinically sound and respects the rights of members and providers while giving payors reasonable guidelines to follow. This accreditation applies to the Blue KC’s health insurance plans BlueCare®, Preferred-Care® and Preferred-Care Blue®. |