The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Since its founding in 1990, NCQA has been a central figure in driving improvement throughout the health care system, helping to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.

Treatment for uncomplicated low back pain varies widely. While most physicians follow the recommended approach of pain management and gradual return to physical activity, some prematurely prescribe costly imaging, epidural steroid injections or refer their patients to surgery.

NCQA’s Back Pain Recognition Program (BPRP) seeks to recognize medical physicians and chiropractors who deliver superior care to millions of Americans who suffer from low back pain. These requirements address the broad spectrum of low back pain and focus on underuse, misuse and overuse of treatment modalities.

NCQA developed BPRP requirements from widely accepted medical evidence, with significant input from physician specialists and health plan and employer representatives.

Dr. Brett Kinsler and Dr. Michalene Elliott were among the first doctors to be recognized by NCQA in New York State for excellence in treating back pain.