The US Family Health Plan’s patient-focused approach that emphasizes and incentivizes lasting patient wellness is unique among health care options in the Military Health System. Read more
The US Family Health Plan Alliance extends its warmest wishes for the holiday season to each of our nearly 150,000 members, as well as to every military family, veteran and active-duty service member across the country or abroad. We thank you for your sacrifices, courage and strength, and we look forward to serving you in the New Year.
A patient-focused approach to health care enables the six member organizations of the US Family Health Plan to achieve high levels of patient satisfaction among their nearly 150,000 members across the country.
Dr. David Howes, president and CEO of member organization Martin’s Point HealthCare in Maine, explains how the US Family Health Plan maintains satisfaction by prioritizing members’ personal needs.
“When you are a member of US Family Health Plan, we feel a responsibility to help you to become and remain healthy, and to do that in a way that meets your personal needs. In addition, there is the value that we have put together networks of providers, doctors, hospitals and care managers that can help guide you through the care system in a way that means that you will never be unable to find somebody to care for you or your family,” Howes says.
The US Family Health Plan keeps an eye on its progress and effectiveness by measuring its members’ overall satisfaction with their health care over time, including their ability to easily access care and their happiness with their health outcomes. In fact, two US Family Health Plan member organizations – Martin’s Point Health Care and Johns Hopkins – were recently listed among the top private health plans in the country for patient satisfaction by the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2017–2018.
“We are probably among the health plans in the U.S. that are most satisfying to their members. We find that we are at the absolute top of the heap, with over 90% of our members saying that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their health plan,” Howes says.
The US Family Health Plan once again has two of the highest-rated private health insurance plans in the country, according to the independent National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
In NCQA’s Private Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2017–2018, NCQA gave a 5 out of 5 rating to the Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan and a 4.5 out of 5 rating to Martin’s Point US Family Health Plan (ME) – two of the US Family Health Plan’s six regional health plans – demonstrating a continued commitment to excellence in health care.
“The latest NCQA ratings affirm that the US Family Health Plan is keeping our members satisfied by providing them with high quality health care for improved care outcomes,” said Jim Schweiter, US Family Health Plan Alliance CEO.
The NCQA report rates private, Medicare, and Medicaid health insurance plans on a 5-point scale for customer satisfaction, prevention and treatment. The ratings are based on clinical quality, member satisfaction and NCQA Accreditation Survey results to emphasize care outcomes and what patients say about their care. Both Martin’s Point and Johns Hopkins are NCQA-accredited.
Johns Hopkins, the top-rated private health insurance plan in Maryland, is just one of five private plans in the country to earn a 5 out of 5 rating out of the more than 1,000 plans rated in the report. The plan also received an NCQA Health Plan Accreditation of Excellent, scoring 94.26 out of a possible 100.
“To be among the highest-rated plans in the country is an honor, as well as a motivator,” said Mary Cooke, vice president of Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan. “Everything that we do is in pursuit of serving our military families and retirees with the highest quality of care possible. The NCQA rating will make us work even harder to maintain our standards and hopefully reach new levels of quality.”
The Martin’s Point US Family Health Plan – based in Portland, Maine – is the top-rated private plan in the state and one of only 42 plans nationwide to earn a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
“We are excited and honored to receive a 4.5 out of 5 rating from NCQA. Our aim is to provide the highest quality care and service, and this rating validates all of our efforts to keep our members satisfied and well cared for,” said David Howes, M.D., president and CEO of Martin’s Point Health Care.
The US Family Health Plan has been labeled as a model for exemplary patient satisfaction nationwide by the annual Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey, which gave the plan a 91.5 aggregate member satisfaction rating in 2017. CAHPS scores are incorporated into the NCQA rating system.
“Our top priority continues to be the health and satisfaction of our members, as it has been for more than 30 years. We are proud of the care we deliver as part of the Military Health System and remain a committed partner to them in their mission,” Schweiter said.
October is National Physical Therapy Month. The US Family Health Plan recognizes the importance of physical therapy to the overall health and wellness of our members and their families. Each year, more than half of active-duty soldiers endure injuries or related conditions, leading to more than 1 million medical encounters and roughly 10 million days of limited duty.
After leaving active-duty service, these individuals often endure chronic pain or must have surgery to find relief. Fortunately, US Family Health Plan members have access to a variety of physical therapy coverage options to meet their recovery goals.
After more than 30 years of service to military families and retirees, the US Family Health Plan understands the injuries common to a dynamic military lifestyle. We are committed to providing quality health care and tailored physical therapy options for pain management to our members to address a range of issues, including physical mobility, speech concerns and cognitive or psychological impairment.
Therapy services – including prescribed physical therapy, aquatic therapy, and cognitive rehabilitation therapy, among others – are available to members through their TRICARE Prime benefit. For more information on whether your health and wellness would benefit from therapy services, speak with your primary care provider.
The St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers US Family Health Plan program in New York recently celebrated the 100th birthday of one of its members—Major (Ret.) Joe Sciacca, a U.S. Army veteran and contemporary renaissance man who enjoyed an eclectic career following his military service.
Joe Sciacca met his future wife, Mary, in Greensboro, North Carolina while on leave and married her in December 1943.
Sciacca, a Staten Island native, has been a member of the St. Vincent’s US Family Health Plan program for 37 years since enrolling in 1981. He was born in Manhattan and was drafted into the Army in June 1941, serving until his separation as a first lieutenant in 1946. Sciacca continued to serve another quarter-century in the Army Reserve before retiring as a major.
While in the service, Sciacca was assigned to an artillery unit. He specialized in spotting enemy fire. During World War II, he served in various locations across the U.S. and was close to being deployed to the African theater when the war ended.
Mr. Sciacca attended Fordham Law School, and his illustrious post-military career included working for Buitoni Foods for 42 years and being appointed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller to serve as Deputy Commissioner of Boxing for the New York Athletic Commission. In that position, he played an important role in organizing the “Fight of the Century” between Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971 at Madison Square Garden.
Joe Sciacca posing with former World Champion boxer, Emile Griffith.
In celebration of Joe’s 100th birthday, the St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers US Family Health Plan program wishes to thank him for his many years of service to our country and for his successful post-military career.
Joe Sciacca is among nearly 150,000 US Family Health Plan members nationwide who enjoy access to quality healthcare with top-rated patient satisfaction through six regional member organizations offering the TRICARE Prime benefit. The US Family Health Plan administered by Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Centers has provided care to the military community for more than 30 years and serves active-duty family members, as well as retirees and their family members who live in parts of New York, including New York City, New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania and western Connecticut.
To learn more about the US Family Health Plan, explore the rest of our website.
The US Family Health Plan thanks writer Gregory Giaconelli, who contributed the “Spotlight” column on Joe Sciacca for the Summer 2017 edition of FAM Magazine.
William “Bill” Ashley enlisted in the U.S. Air Force two weeks before he graduated from his Houston-area high school in 1965. He went on to serve 20 years in the Air Force until his retirement on August 31, 1985 as a senior master sergeant.
Ashley’s service tenure spanned several jobs – including seven years as an air traffic controller – and included two tours with distinction in Vietnam. Ashley served as a load master, working aboard several different Air Force cargo and transport aircraft.
Ashley’s military service afforded him the opportunity to attend the Community College of the Air Force, Barry University in Miami, and the University of Houston where he earned a master’s degree. He also met his wife while serving and now has two daughters and three grandchildren.
“Since I’ve left the military, I’ve had a multitude of jobs. I’ve been blessed in the sense that health insurance hasn’t had to be an issue, because it was with me and it’s always been with me. The US Family Health Plan has been a vital part of that,” Ashley says.
Nearly 20 years ago, Ashley joined the US Family Health Plan through Houston-based member organization, CHRISTUS Health. Through US Family Health Plan’s patient-centered approach to health care, Ashley enjoys reliable access to care that is tailored to his needs and personal preferences.
“Accessing care has been great,” he says. “Care has always been available for me. If I need an appointment I can pick up the phone or go online to use the online portal. I don’t like to take a lot of medicine, and so whenever I receive care, one of things I ask is for something I can do that doesn’t involve additional medicine. I am given the opportunity to try other things other than getting drugs to prevent [illness].”
The TRICARE Prime benefit Ashley receives through the US Family Health Plan allows him to see a regular doctor that he chose years ago when joining the plan – a valued option after seeing numerous doctors during his time in the military.
“I like the idea of having my doctor, and I got to choose my doctor, and I’ve been with her ever since. I get an annual physical, my doctor remembers things, and she brings those up and makes sure they are taken care of. When my father passed away, she remembered why he died, and she started checking me for the same things, so things like that are important.”
Ashley appreciates the consistency in care he receives through the US Family Health Plan and the awareness he has developed for his own health care needs through the relationship he has with his doctor.
“If the US Family Health Plan disappeared, it would mean I would lose my doctor of 20 years,” Ashley says. “I have security in my health needs, and I know how to take care of them and navigate that. I would love to stay with what I’ve grown accustomed to and love. I have never considered leaving US Family Health Plan. It’s been a part of my life since I left the military, and I don’t see that changing.”
Ashley is also grateful for the support the US Family Health Plan has given to his church ministry, Windsor Village, in connecting with Houston-area veterans and assisting them with health care, education and housing.
“The US Family Health Plan has sponsored several of our programs, and they have come together to answer questions and help veterans that are in need,” he says. “I really, really do appreciate it, because one of things I’ve found is veterans are hard to bring into the fold, and with help like we were getting from them, it just makes a big difference. Veterans need to be taken care of.”
Bill Ashley is among nearly 150,000 US Family Health Plan members nationwide who enjoy access to quality healthcare with top-rated patient satisfaction through six regional member organizations offering the TRICARE Prime benefit. To learn more about US Family Health Plan, watch the interview above or explore the rest of our website.
The situation related to Hurricane Harvey in our US Family Health Plan Texas and Louisiana service areas continues to evolve, and we remain mindful of the needs of our members.
A brief update of the status of CHRISTUS facilities in Southeast Texas and Louisiana is below:
Southwestern Louisiana Update
The remediation trailer, which arrives with an array of tools and resources to clean up and address damage or leaks, has arrived in Lake Charles.
Southeast Texas Update
Our facilities and clinics will work feverishly to resume business as usual operations as soon as it is reasonably safe.
All CHRISTUS Health plan operations have been open without disruption from the storm.
The US Family Health Plan Alliance knows how important family readiness is as a component of the military’s overall medical readiness. A key part of our mission is to give those serving on active duty overseas peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are being taken care of back home.
Dr. David Howes, president and CEO of Martin’s Point Health Care in Maine, explains how the US Family Health Plan provides the best health care possible to those who make sacrifices by serving or supporting those who serve our country.
“This is a group of people who has earned this benefit, that has served in places where they put their life at risk. Understanding that these people deserve our respect and our appreciation – and taking the time to explain to them what we believe their needs are and how they can work with us to make their health as good as it could be – is the best way to serve them from a cultural perspective.”
As part of the Military Health System, the US Family Health Plan offers the TRICARE Prime benefit to nearly 150,000 military retirees and family members across the country. Dr. Howes talks about how the US Family Health Plan helps manage the important issues facing the Military Health System.
“One thing that we can do,” Howes says, “is offload some of those responsibilities [health care delivered within the Military Health System]. Other things we can do as a USFHP – and some of our plans are doing – is to help with training and development for clinicians and to build more intimate relationships with military treatment facilities so we are working collaboratively rather than competitively.”
Increasing collaboration between uniformed medical professionals and the private sector medical community in support of military medical readiness remains a core tenet of the US Family Health Plan’s commitments to partner with the military’s medical leadership and to provide quality health care for plan members.
“The US Family Health Plan’s approach to working with patients is a huge piece of our mission and privilege to care for these people who have served our country so well,” Howes says.
Summertime offers multiple opportunities to reflect added focus on mental health; May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has designated June as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month. The Department established an online resource, About Face, which provides support for veterans suffering from PTSD and resources for family members of affected veterans.
Active duty troops and retirees face unique challenges as a result of their service to the country. They may endure “hidden” injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, that are not always immediately apparent.
As recipients of the TRICARE Prime benefit, members of the US Family Health Plan have access to a range of mental health care and support services. Our member organizations assist military families and retirees in identifying and managing their conditions and ensuring they receive proper and sustained care.
Available mental and behavioral health services within the US Family Health Plan and TRICARE Prime include:
DoSomething.org has extensive information about the stress-related mental health issues following deployment, including PTSD. These issues can impact service members’ and veterans’ well-being and quality of life as well as that of their families:
With greater awareness and understanding afforded to members of the military family, those suffering from “hidden” injuries can have a shorter walk on the road to recovery.