Health Equity Accreditation FAQs
If you don’t see what you’re looking for in the FAQs below, you can search NCQA’s database of additional common questions or ask a question through My NCQA.
What are Health Equity Accreditation and Health Equity Accreditation Plus?
Health Equity Accreditation adds new requirements to NCQA’s Multicultural Health Care standards that focus on organizational diversity, equity, inclusion and reducing bias; collecting gender identity and sexual orientation data; and reporting race/ethnicity stratified HEDIS measures.
The voluntary Health Equity Accreditation Plus option includes standards for assessing and addressing social determinants of health and will be available for public comment this fall.
Do I need another NCQA Accreditation to earn Health Equity Accreditation?
No. You can earn Health Equity Accreditation independently.
What organizations are eligible to earn Health Equity Accreditation?
Organizations such as health plans, health systems, hospitals, managed behavioral healthcare organizations, population health organizations, wellness organizations—and more—are eligible.
Where can I find the standards and guidelines?
The Standards and Guidelines are here in the NCQA Store.
How do we earn Health Equity Accreditation?
First, have a discussion about earning Accreditation with an NCQA program expert.
Next, purchase and review the program resources, conduct a gap analysis and submit your online application.
Align your organization’s processes with the standards. NCQA conducts the Accreditation Survey and determines your status within 30 days of the final review.
See a step-by-step process.
How long does it take to earn Health Equity Accreditation?
The typical time frame is 12 months from application submission to decision, depending on an organization’s readiness. Some organizations may already be working within NCQA guidelines.
How do we start?
If you are not currently Accredited and want to learn more, contact NCQA.
If you are currently Accredited and want to talk to someone about your status or about renewing or adding Accreditations, submit a question through My NCQA.
Where can I find information?
Accreditation Process and Timeline: Key steps, timing and resources for a successful Accreditation journey.
Standards and Guidelines: The complete standards and guidelines, including the scope of review.
Interactive Survey Tool (IRT): The complete standards and guidelines. You can also determine your organization’s survey readiness—the tool calculates your potential survey score.
What organizations have earned NCQA Accreditation?
See the NCQA Report Cards for a directory of Accredited organizations.