Gaining momentum in the health care industry means providing customers with quality service. It means treating each customer as someone special. It means taking the initiative to keep our customers informed about their care options and satisfied with the choices they make. By maintaining a focus on our customers, we move faster toward our ultimate service objective: comprehensive health care that offers access and choice as well as affordability.

        Last year, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent arbiter of quality within the managed health care industry, gave full three-year accreditation, the highest approval rating possible, to four of the company's HMOs. In addition, an independent survey by U.S. News & World Report awarded the Columbia Medical Plan its four-star rating and ranked it fourth among 226 managed care plans evaluated throughout the U.S.

        Our customers - employers, local, state and federal governments, large organizations as well as individuals throughout our service area - provide the momentum that drives our business to achieve and maintain these high standards.