Controlling High Blood Pressure
2022-23 Edition
Why is it important to control high blood pressure?
High blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage. Having your blood pressure checked is an important part of good health care. Blood pressure is normal when it is below 140/90 for patients 18 to 59 years of age and below 150/90 for patients 60 to 85 years of age. Learn more about what these numbers mean at the American Heart Association website.
How should doctors help control high blood pressure?
Doctors should work with you to help control your blood pressure to below 140/90, or below 150/90 if you are 60 years or older. Your doctor can help educate you about which foods have little or no salt. Your doctor can also educate you about how to maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active and stop smoking. If your blood pressure is above normal, the doctor can also order medicine that will help lower it.
Talk with your doctor and health plan to find out about what other services are available. Many health plans offer additional support and resources for patients who want to better control their blood pressure. These additional services may be educational materials (online and in print), classes or support groups, home blood pressure monitoring, or phone counseling.
What do the scores mean?
The scores show how well each health plan did at making sure patients with hypertension had their blood pressure below 140/90, or below 150/90 if you are 60 years or older, which indicates good control. The higher score means more patients got the right care at the right time.
The scores are based on information from at least 30 health plan member administrative records in 2021. Some plans also use patient medical records which are often more complete and result in higher scores. Plans that decide not to use medical records are likely to have lower scores.
Data Disclaimer
The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compass®2022 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Quality Compass® 2022 includes certain Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) data. Any data display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass is a registered trademark of NCQA. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
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