Kaiser’s Private, Medicare Plans Rated Highest in California
Kaiser Foundation health plans were the state's highest-rated private and Medicare health plans for performance and patient satisfaction, according to ratings by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Fairfield-Suisun Daily Republic reports (Hiland, Fairfield-Suisun Daily Republic, 9/21).
Details of Ratings
NCQA rated the quality and services of 1,016 health plans nationwide, including:
- 491 private plans;
- 376 Medicare plans; and
- 149 Medicaid plans.
Health plans were rated on:
- Consumer satisfaction;
- Prevention; and
- Treatment.
Nationally, 11% of the 1,016 plans received a rating of 4.5 or five out of five possible points. Five percent of plans received the lowest scores, between one and two points (Commins, HealthLeaders Media, 9/18).
California Findings
In California, the highest-rated commercial plans were:
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Northern California, which received a five;
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Southern California, which received a 4.5; and
- Sharp Health Plan and Western Health Advantage, which both received a four.
The lowest-performing private plan was Sierra Health & Life, which received two points.
Meanwhile, the highest-rated Medicaid plans were:
- CalOptima, which received a four; and
- L.A. Care Health Plan, which received a 3.5.
The lowest-rated Medicaid plans were:
- Contra Costa Health Plan, which received a two; and
- Alameda Alliance for Health, which received a 1.5.
Among Medicare plans, Kaiser of Northern and Southern California each scored a five as the highest-rated plans.
The lowest-performing Medicare plans, which received scores of two, were:
- Brand New Day; and
- Inland Empire Health Plan (NCQA ratings, September 2015).