Wellpoint New Jersey earns NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Plus

Iselin-based Wellpoint New Jersey Inc., formerly Amerigroup New Jersey, recently earned the National Committee for Quality Assurance Health Equity Accreditation Plus, a recognition of Wellpoint New Jersey’s leadership in developing solutions to enhance access equitable, high-quality health care.

Newly established accreditation recognizes Wellpoint New Jersey’s commitment to eliminating health disparities in underserved communities to improve health outcomes and reduce overall treatment costs.

“NCQA’s Health Equity Accreditation Plus recognizes our unwavering dedication to eliminating health disparities and ensuring access to high-quality care for everyone,” Patrick Fox, president, Wellpoint New Jersey, said. “This milestone positions Wellpoint New Jersey Inc. at the forefront of advancing health equity through our innovative and impactful programs that provide access to individualized care to improve the whole health of our members.”

NCQA Health Equity Accreditation Plus builds upon the Health Equity Accreditation designation Wellpoint New Jersey received last year, when it was recognized among the first Medicaid plans in the nation to create a strategic framework that prioritizes health equity based on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation and gender identity.

The new Health Equity Accreditation Plus goes a step further by acknowledging Wellpoint New Jersey’s data-driven approach to identify and collect information on individuals’ social needs. This data enables Wellpoint New Jersey to develop personalized services and support to combat health inequities and establish impactful relationships with community-based organizations to improve the health outcomes of individuals.

One way Wellpoint New Jersey is advancing its health equity mission is through deep and collaborative relationships with local community-based organizations. These relationships and local programming addresses health-related social needs by collaborating with CBOs, such as food banks and other nonprofits, to provide needed infrastructure and resources.

Additionally, the local plan has worked in close collaboration with state partners at the Department of Human Services to address disparities in maternal and child health and implement the state’s programmatic goals to address health related social needs.