NCQA: Kaiser’s Private, Medicare Plans Rank Highest in California
Kaiser offers the best private health plans in the state and the top Medicare health plans in the country, according to recent rankings by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, HealthLeaders Media reports (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 9/19).
The rankings were based on:
- Clinical quality, including preventive and treatment measures;
- Consumer satisfaction scores, taken from a survey by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and
- Quality processes (NCQA report, 7/30).
According to NCQA's rankings of Medicare plans:
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Southern California is first in the state and in the U.S.; and
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Northern California is second in the state and in the U.S.
In addition, the rankings of private health plans placed:
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Southern California first in the state and seventh in the U.S.; and
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Northern California second in the state and eighth in the U.S.
No other health plans in the state were ranked in the top 10 nationally in either category by NCQA (HealthLeaders Media, 9/19).
CalOptima Named Best Medicaid Managed Care Plan in Calif.
Meanwhile, NCQA ranked CalOptima in Orange County as the best Medi-Cal managed care plan in the state this year, the Orange County Register reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
The plan ranked fourth in the state last year.
CalOptima CEO Michael Schrader said the plan has invested $5 million since last year to improve the performance of its provider network.
Molina Healthcare in Los Angeles ranked second in the state, and L.A. Care ranked third (Wolfson, Orange County Register, 9/19).
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