The "New Jersey Managed Health Care Plans: Compare Your Choices" 1998 report produced by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) provides summary charts and details in bar graphs. The bar graphs include individual plan scores and the group average for each measure.
Provided by New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
The scores show how each of the plans compares to the average for the New Jersey plans shown. Bar graphs following show scores for each plan on selected topics.
Summarized Results
Higher than average scores mean better performance.
Higher: Score for plan is above the average score for New Jersey plans. A dark circle indicates Higher.
Average: Score for plan is neither higher nor lower than the average score for New Jersey plans. A half dark and half white circle indicates Average.
Lower: Score for plan is below the average score for New Jersey plans. A white circle indicates Lower.
Aetna USHC HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Higher
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Higher
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
AmeriHealth HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Higher
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Higher
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Higher
CIGNA-Northern NJ HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
CIGNA-Southern NJ HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
First Option HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Higher
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
HIP HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Lower
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: :Lower
HMO Blue
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
NYLCare HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
Oxford HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Higher
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
PHS-NJ HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Higher
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Higher
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
Prudential HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Lower
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
United HMO
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Lower
Aetna USHC POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
AmeriHealth POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Higher
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
CIGNA-Northern NJ POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Lower
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Lower
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
First Option POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Lower
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
NYLCare POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Lower
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Lower
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
Oxford POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Higher
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Higher
PHS-NJ POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Lower
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Lower
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Lower
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
United POS
Overall rating of the health plan: Average
Ease of getting referrals to specialists: Average
Reasonableness of paperwork and payment: Average
Efficiency and helpfulness of health plan's customer service: Average
Courtesy, respect and helpfulness of medical office staff: Average
This list shows the bar graph of health plan members responding "yes" to the following survey question:
"Was it always easy to get a referral when you needed one?"
Source: consumer survey.
New Jersey Plan Average 82%
Aetna USHC HMO 84%
AmeriHealth HMO 87%
CIGNA-Northern NJ HMO 82%
CIGNA-Southern NJ HMO 87%
First Option HMO 83%
HIP HMO 79%
HMO Blue 85%
NYLCare HMO 87%
Oxford HMO 85%
PHS-NJ HMO 79%
Prudential HMO 84%
United HMO 83%
Aetna USHC POS 85%
AmeriHealth POS 86%
CIGNA-Northern NJ POS 75%
First Option POS 72%
NYLCare POS 77%
Oxford POS 88%
PHS-NJ POS 76%
United POS 77%
Health plan members were asked whether the number of forms they had to fill out was reasonable and whether the health plan handled approvals and payments without taking a lot of their own time and energy.
Source: consumer survey
New Jersey Plan Average
Never or sometimes 19%
Usually 11%
Always 69%
Aetna USHC HMO
Never or sometimes 19%
Usually 7%
Always 74%
AmeriHealth HMO
Never or sometimes 17%
Usually 8%
Always 74%
CIGNA-Northern NJ HMO
Never or sometimes 19%
Usually 11%
Always 70%
CIGNA-Southern NJ HMO
Never or sometimes 21%
Usually 12%
Always 67%
First Option HMO
Never or sometimes 16%
Usually 11%
Always 73%
HIP HMO
Never or sometimes 18%
Usually 8%
Always 74%
HMO Blue
Never or sometimes 17%
Usually 14%
Always 69%
NYLCare HMO
Never or sometimes 22%
Usually 9%
Always 68%
Oxford HMO
Never or sometimes 16%
Usually 11%
Always 73%
PHS-NJ HMO
Never or sometimes 21%
Usually 12%
Always 67%
Prudential HMO
Never or sometimes 20%
Usually 11%
Always 69%
United HMO
Never or sometimes 17%
Usually 12%
Always 71%
Aetna USHC POS
Never or sometimes 18%
Usually 12%
Always 70%
AmeriHealth POS
Never or sometimes 18%
Usually 10%
Always 73%
CIGNA-Northern NJ POS
Never or sometimes 23%
Usually 15%
Always 62%
First Option POS
Never or sometimes 19%
Usually 11%
Always 71%
NYLCare POS
Never or sometimes 23%
Usually 15%
Always 62%
Oxford POS
Never or sometimes 19%
Usually 8%
Always 73%
PHS-NJ POS
Never or sometimes 23%
Usually 14%
Always 63%
United POS
Never or sometimes 18%
Usually 16%
Always 66%