Community Health Plans Again Top CMS Quality Ratings

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The Alliance of Community Health Plans issued the following news release:

Members of the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) have historically led the nation in CMS quality ratings, and this year is no exception.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded a top score of 5 stars to only 16 Medicare Advantage contracts in the country, eight of which are operated by ACHP members. Overall, 34 Medicare Advantage contracts operated by ACHP members received 5, 4.5 and 4 stars in the star ratings, which CMS released on Wednesday.

"The star ratings are another indicator of the exceptional service our plans provide to their communities," said ACHP President and CEO Ceci Connolly. "Customer experience, prevention and most importantly, better outcomes--all captured by the CMS star ratings--are the hallmarks of an ACHP health plan."

ACHP members deliver quality coverage to Medicare Advantage enrollees year after year. In this year's ratings, Kaiser Permanente, Dean Health Plan and Capital District Physicians' Health Plan all earned 5 stars. Independent Health in Buffalo, N.Y. has received 4.5 stars every year since 2011, and Security Health Plan in Marshfield, Wis., has received 4.5 or 5 stars each year in the same time frame. A number of other members also received 4.5 stars, including Martin's Point Health Care, HealthPartners and UCare.

"Few Medicare health plans in the nation receive an overall star rating of 4.5 or 5 stars," said Julie Brussow, chief executive officer at Security Health Plan. "This year's 4.5-star rating demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality service to our members."

CMS considers 45 quality measures when evaluating Medicare plans, including preventive screenings, management of chronic conditions and adherence to prescription medications. ACHP members' evidence-based, provider-aligned approach ensures that Medicare patients get the right care when and where they need it. Plan performance is assessed each year and may change from one year to the next.

ACHP members are also highly rated by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). In the 2017-2018 NCQA Health Insurance Plan Ratings, an ACHP commercial plan was one of only five commercial plans to receive a top score of 5, and 25 ACHP commercial plans received a score of 4.5.