Comprehensive Behavioral Care's Southeast Region Operation Awarded One-Year Accreditation from NCQA.

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 1999--

Comprehensive Behavioral Care, Inc. (CompCare), a wholly owned subsidiary of Comprehensive Care Corporation (OTCBB:CHCR), today announced that its Tampa-based Southeast Region office was awarded accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The one-year accreditation is effective through October 2000.

NCQA, an independent, not-for-profit organization, has been evaluating managed care organizations since the early 1990s, and has evaluated managed behavioral health care organizations (MBHOs) since 1997. The NCQA MBHO accreditation survey is a voluntary review process designed to evaluate how well a managed behavioral health care organization manages all parts of its delivery system to continuously improve the quality of health care provided to its members.

CompCare's Tampa-based corporate office completed its NCQA MBHO corporate review last fall, and the company's other regional offices also are actively pursuing NCQA MBHO accreditation. CompCare's quality management programs continuously monitor clinical care and quality of services using key measures and performance indicators, such as access to services; the appropriateness, efficiency, coordination, and outcome of care; potential risk to the beneficiary; provider performance; and care management.

"CompCare strongly supports NCQA efforts to establish nationally recognized standards for managed behavioral health care organizations," said CompCare CEO Mary Jane Johnson. "We view NCQA accreditation as a significant reflection of the care and attention we devote to the behavioral health status of the people we serve. This award is an important milestone."

CompCare's Southeast Region office was reviewed by NCQA for quality in the following seven categories: Quality Improvement; Accessibility, Availability, Referral, and Triage; Utilization Management; Credentialing; Members' Rights and Responsibilities; Preventive Behavioral Health Care Services; and Clinical Evaluation and Treatment Records.

Comprehensive Behavioral Care, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, administers and operates mental health, substance abuse, and employee assistance programs for governmental agencies and managed care companies throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The company has more than 900,000 members and a network of approximately 5,700 behavioral health practitioners.