NCQA gender-specific standards: is there a place for men's health?

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has adopted 12 gender-specific standards for HMO accreditation. None of the 12 pertain to men's health. This article analyzes possible explanations for the exclusion of men's health standards. The data suggest the following conclusions: (1) men are the higher-risk population, (2) current medical research budget allocations favor women by almost a 3:1 margin, (3) a sufficient research basis exists to develop male-specific standards, and (4) there is no clear basis to the claim that medical services are systematically biased against women; in fact, it is men who are underutilizers of primary care services. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible male-specific standards and operational considerations for managed care organizations.