ATLANTA, Ga. - (April 20, 1998) -- Med Advantage announced today that they are continuing to improve and simplify the credentialing process by offering managed care organizations (MCOs) a real-time, on-line credentialing service on their Web site, www.med-advantage.com.

As one of the largest and most well established Credentials Verification Organizations (CVOs) in the U.S., Med Advantage serves managed care entities across the country and is providing them with a high-quality, technically advanced Web site to meet the changing needs of the managed care marketplace.

Med Advantage is fully certified according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)*, and through their new service, MCOs will be able to go on-line to do a real-time query to evaluate physicians’ applications and obtain verified information that meets the standards of the NCQA, the Joint Commission for Accreditation of HealthCare Organizations (JCAHO) and the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission/URAC.

"We are extremely pleased to have taken our database on-line to provide companies with real-time verification of information placed on a provider’s application, such as education or board certification," said John C. Barrett, Vice President of Med Advantage. "Our mission is to enable our customers to remain competitive in the credentialing industry through a more cost-effective and more timely verification process."

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Med Advantage’s database houses an estimated 96% of practicing physicians. The company has collected information on more than 800,000 providers and has verified more than 4.3 million elements. Through utilizing the on-line service, users are given a security code to ensure the privacy of information, and they can process queries regarding medical school, post graduate education, board certification, sub-certification, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Medicare and Medicaid sanctions imposed by the Department Of Health and Human Services.

Based in Orlando, Florida, Med Advantage provides nationwide credentialing services to HMOs, PPOs, IPAs, PHOs, hospitals and other managed care organizations. The company is dedicated to providing its customers with optimum credentialing service and is moving forward in the industry in developing services to accommodate physicians and consumers, while continuing to serve the managed care marketplace with innovative and effective service. The company was incorporated in 1993.

For additional information regarding Med Advantage’s latest service, visit their booth (#1737) at the NMHCC or contact John Barrett at (407) 282-5131.

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