State assesses commercial health care

Commercial managed health care plans in Maryland have improved care for chronic illness, but more work needs to be done in preventive care and member satisfaction.

Those were some of the findings in the Maryland Health Care Commission's 2009-2010 Health Plan Performance Report, which was released last week.

It provided data on seven health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and point-of-service (POS) health plans offered in the state, as well as information on preferred provider organizations (PPOs).

Last year was the first time that PPOs were included in the report. Their information is reported voluntarily. No state...