Local Medi-Cal plan continues to strengthen quality, access, and member experience for Ventura County residents

CAMARILLO, Calif., Jan. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP) today announced it has earned Health Plan Accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.

NCQA Health Plan Accreditation is a widely recognized, evidence-based program dedicated to quality improvement and measurement. It provides a comprehensive framework for organizations to align and improve operations in areas that are most important to states, employers and consumers. It's the only evaluation program that bases results on actual measurement of clinical performance (HEDIS® measures) and consumer experience (CAHPS® measures).

"Preparing for the NCQA Health Plan Accreditation reinforced our responsibility to continuously evaluate how we serve our members and how we can do better," said Dr. Felix Nuñez, GCHP's chief executive officer (CEO). "This process helps ensure that our services, programs, and partnerships are aligned around providing access to high-quality, equitable care to the communities we serve."

The NCQA evaluators highlighted GCHP's "comprehensive case management program with effective outreach" and noted that none of the required standards scored below 100%.

"This accreditation is about building strong, reliable systems that support both members and providers," said Dr. James Cruz, GCHP's chief medical officer. "It reinforces our focus on access, quality, and trust, which are key elements of a health system that truly works for the community."

In Sept. 2025, GCHP earned NCQA Health Equity Accreditation, recognizing the organization's efforts to identify and reduce health disparities and improve culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Together, the two accreditations reflect GCHP's organization-wide commitment to its members.

About Gold Coast Health Plan
Gold Coast Health Plan proudly serves about 235,000 Medi-Cal members in Ventura County through its network of primary care physicians, specialists, behavioral health providers and hospitals. Since its founding in 2011, Gold Coast Health Plan has been committed to providing access to high-quality care and improving the health of its members, which include 1 in 3 county residents, 1 in 6 seniors, and 1 in 2 children under the age of 5. To learn more, visit: www.goldcoasthealthplan.org.

About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter/X @ncqa and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

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SOURCE Gold Coast Health Plan