Ten Years Of Top Quality Care: Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plans Celebrate 10 Years Of Five Star Ratings

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the tenth year in a row, Kaiser Permanente is again among the highest rated Medicare health plans as indicated in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) annual Star Ratings for 2022. In the newly released ratings, Kaiser Permanente's Medicare Advantage (HMO) plans are the only plans to achieve a 5-star rating – the highest possible – in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia for the tenth year in a row. The top rating demonstrates the health plan's exceptional approach to providing expert medicine, seamless quality care, and outstanding service to its Medicare health plan members.

"At Kaiser Permanente, we are extremely proud to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality care and an exceptional member experience with five-star ratings from CMS for the 10th year," said Ruth Williams-Brinkley, regional president for Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic. "This important accomplishment required focus and commitment from all members of our team to deliver our uniquely integrated care to our nearly 800,000 members in the region. Together, we are improving health and helping our members thrive. It is an honor to celebrate a decade of receiving 5-star ratings from CMS."

CMS created the Medicare star quality rating system to provide beneficiaries with a way to assess Medicare health plans based on quality of care and service delivery, so they can make an informed decision when choosing a plan. CMS uses the star ratings system to rate Medicare health plans on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest quality. CMS is a federal agency and division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Our Permanente physicians are dedicated to advancing quality, innovation and value," said Richard McCarthy, MD, executive medical director for Kaiser Permanente. "Telemedicine and on-demand 24/7 virtual care, for example, enable us to maintain close connections with patients, which has been especially transformational for the rapid diagnosis and treatment of disease during the pandemic. The data shows that if every person in the nation received the superior care our Permanente physicians provide, hundreds of thousands of lives would be saved each year."

Every year, CMS rates all Medicare Advantage health plans (Parts C and D) on multiple facets of care and service, including chronic conditions management, health maintenance, patient experience, customer service, and pharmacy services. The ratings align with Kaiser Permanente's integrated health care delivery system, which brings a multitude of services together to focus on patient and customer needs. The ability to transform care and improve health outcomes along with its systematic approach to continuous improvement highlight Kaiser Permanente as an organization that sets the standard for health care.

"Our patient-centric approach, bolstered by our cutting-edge data systems, means that patients are getting reliably excellent care," said Joseph Territo, MD, associate medical director of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. "Over the past year, while we rapidly responded to the pandemic and provided great care to our patients with COVID-19, we also continued to concentrate on disease prevention, chronic conditions management and effective treatment programs for all our patients"

Medicare-eligible people can enroll in individual Medicare Advantage and Part D plans during the Medicare open enrollment period, which begins on October 15 and runs through December 7, 2021. Medicare-eligible individuals who have a 5-star Medicare health plan available in their area can also take advantage of a special enrollment period that runs from December 8, 2021, through November 30, 2022. During that time, they can join or switch to a plan with a 5-star quality rating (one plan change allowed per special enrollment period).

The CMS 5-star ratings is the latest in a series of positive quality recognitions for Kaiser Permanente in the Mid-Atlantic region. In September, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) rated Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States as the only private (commercial) and Medicare health plans available in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia to earn a 5-star rating according to the organization's Health Plan Ratings for 2021. 2021 is the eighth NCQA report in which Kaiser Permanente's regional health plan in the Mid-Atlantic received 5 stars.

In addition to national quality ratings, evidence shows that Kaiser Permanente's members live longer, healthier lives thanks to an integrated delivery system, regular disease screenings, cutting-edge treatment plans and successful management of chronic conditions. Whether members need a mammogram or blood pressure checks, these are integrated into care across the health system, making access convenient for members. For example, not only can a Kaiser Permanente member receive a mammogram at nearly all the health system's 34 medical centers in the region, but mammogram results are often provided in less than an hour. If the mammogram findings are suspicious, follow-up diagnostic breast imaging and biopsy can often be completed the same day – reducing stress for the member and speeding up the diagnosis. As a national leader in the percentage of members receiving breast cancer screening, Kaiser Permanente breast cancer patients have a lower mortality rate compared to national benchmarks. Additionally, any visit at Kaiser Permanente is a blood pressure check – whether it is an eye exam or a dermatology visit – which is one important step that results in better management of high blood pressure among Kaiser Permanente members compared to national averages.

Medicare beneficiaries can learn more about the star ratings and Kaiser Permanente's Medicare health plans by visiting www.kp.org/medicarestars 

About Kaiser Permanente
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 Hawaii in 1958, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve almost 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group 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.

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente