Accordant’s Myasthenia Gravis Program Receives Disease Management Accreditation

Accordant’s myasthenia gravis services program has been accredited by an organization that assesses whether providers meet standards for caring for people with rare diseases.

The accreditation came from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, which also certified that Accordant met standards for caring for patients with several other rare diseases.

The committee, known as NCQA, is a private, non-profit organization that says its goal is to improve healthcare quality by accrediting a wide range of treatment providers.

Accordant is a specialty care provider whose patients’ services are covered by health insurers. At the heart of its programs are registered nurses trained in treating various conditions.

The company is a subsidiary of CVS Health, one of America’s largest distributors of medicines to patients. In providing the different services that it offers, CVS works with private and government health insurers, employers, labor groups and others.

In addition to myasthenia gravis, NCQA accredited Accordant programs in these other diseases: epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, scleroderma, polymyositis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, or CIDP, ALS, dermatomyositis, Gaucher disease and human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.

“We are pleased to receive this important accreditation from NCQA, which further validates our approach to providing high-quality and comprehensive disease management care and support for our patients with these rare, chronic conditions,” Dr. Alan Lotvin, executive vice president of CVS Specialty, CVS Health’s specialty pharmacy operation, said in a press release. “For more than 20 years, Accordant has been providing highly specialized care to patients to help them better manage their condition, improve health outcomes and help avoid unnecessary medical costs for both patients and payors.”

The first NCQA accreditations that Accordant received came in 2003. The company said accreditation is a sign to companies and consumers that it is committed to care-program transparency, accountability and quality improvement.

“Our Accordant nurses are specially trained to provide disease-specific support to help prevent complications, improve our patients’ total health and enhance quality of life,” said Trip Hofer, Accordant’s president. “In addition, Accordant’s unique, proactive disease management approach helps anticipate shifts in patient needs as their condition progresses over time, which is integral in ensuring each patient receives the most clinically appropriate care and support along their healthcare journey.”

In addition to providing patients with medication and symptom management, the nurses coordinate with other healthcare providers to ensure patients receive the best care possible.

“NCQA’s Disease Management Accreditation program is thorough and rigorous,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, the company’s president. “It’s designed to highlight only those programs that truly improve chronic care.”