Kaiser Permanente Share, September 20, 2018

Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in Northern California received the highest rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a national group that rates health plans for consumer experience, prevention and treatment.

In a report published today, NCQA Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2018-19, Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in Northern California was rated 5 out of 5. Kaiser Permanente’s commercial health plans in Northern and Southern California were given a rating of 4.5; no other commercial health plan in California is rated higher.

“These ratings reflect our commitment to providing high-quality care and service to our members and patients,” said Janet Liang, President, Kaiser Permanente Northern California region. “We continue to lead the nation in transforming health care because of the dedication of our physicians and care teams who are focused on keeping people healthy.”

The national group analyzed over 1,000 health plans in the nation — private, Medicare, Medicaid — for quality and service. Only 14 health plans in the country, or about 1 percent, were rated 5 out of 5. In all, Kaiser Permanente has 9 of those highest rated plans.

NCQA is a national, private not-for-profit organization that surveys health plans for performance in a wide range of clinical service measures. All Kaiser Permanente health plans were rated 4 or higher. For the fourth year in a row, all Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plans were rated highest (or tied for the highest) in the areas they serve. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia.

“We are proud of this remarkable accomplishment. It is a testament to the clinical excellence of our physicians and staff,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “Through our integrated model of care, our advances in health information technology and our focus on prevention, we are leading the way in making sure our patients have healthy and productive lives.” 

The NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Ratings are based on combined scores for health plans in Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set®, commonly called HEDIS; the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems® or CAHPS; and NCQA Accreditation standards scores.

The ratings and methodology are posted on the NCQA’s website at www.ncqa.org.

This article originally appeared in KP Share