Kaiser Permanente announced today that its Medicare health plan in California again has received an overall rating for quality and service of 5 stars for 2013-2014, the highest rating possible (Part C and D) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Kaiser Permanente Medicare plans in the Northern and Southern California regions are the only ones in the state to receive the top rating.
Through the Medicare Star Quality Ratings system, CMS assigns scores of 1 to 5 stars to Medicare plans based on more than 50 care and service quality measures across nine categories, including staying healthy, managing chronic conditions, member satisfaction, customer service and pharmacy services.
Kaiser Permanente is the only 5 star plan in all of the states it serves, except Oregon and Washington.
“To earn the highest rating for Medicare plans reflects the commitment of our physicians and care teams to keeping our members healthy and active,” said , MD, executive medical director of the . “Their dedication to providing high-quality care and service, combined with our leading-edge technology systems and , truly makes Kaiser Permanente a model for health care in this country.”
Star ratings provide Medicare beneficiaries with information to help them assess health plan quality of care and service delivery to make an informed choice when selecting a Medicare plan. The 2014 star ratings for Medicare health plans are available on the Medicare “Plan Finder” on the Medicare website. Plans that earn 5 stars are designated with a special “High Performing” icon for easy identification.
In addition to receiving high-quality service and satisfaction, 5-star excellence means that Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in a 5-star plan almost all year, from Dec. 8, 2013, to Nov. 30, 2014, without having to wait until the next annual enrollment period.
The 2014 Star ratings are consistent with the recently released National Committee for Quality Assurance ranking of the nation’s health plans, in which Kaiser Permanente comprised the top 5 Medicare plans in the country. Southern California and Northern California ranked No. 1 and 2 in the U.S., respectively.
Medicare beneficiaries can learn more about the Medicare Star Quality Ratings and Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare plans by visiting or , or calling Kaiser Permanente at 855-817-5831. Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Star ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.6 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: .