The Ambulatory Records Certification (ARC®) collaboration among OMA and managed care organizations in Oregon, southern Washington and Idaho ceased operations on Dec. 31 after 11 years. The program was originally conceived in 1994 in an operating agreement negotiated between OMA and the medical directors of the then nine largest health plans in Oregon. Professional staff retained by OMA conducted surveys of primary care physicians’ medical records and office facilities to assess their compliance with National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation standards on behalf of all health plans in order to reduce to one the number of such audits per physician every two years. Over the years the program morphed several times to accommodate federal and state regulatory standards and in the latter years encompassed behavioral health practitioners as well. Physicians generally supported the concept because it alleviated a particularly galling managed care hassle and provided consistent feedback from one source on what all the health plans expected. At one point a total of 23 managed care organizations participated. Though seriously considered and even attempted in other states, the collaborative ARC model is thought to be unique in the country. In its last year of operation, ARC concentrated primarily on assessing patient safety systems in the ambulatory setting.
If you have any questions, please contact Stephanie Munoz or Jim Kronenberg
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