Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Receives 5-Star Rating for Medicare Plans

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States received the highest possible rating of 5 out of 5 stars for the fifth year in a row from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for quality and service.

The Medicare star quality rating system provides beneficiaries with a way to assess Medicare health plans so they can make an informed decision when selecting a plan. CMS used the star ratings system to rank Medicare health plans on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest quality. The overall scores are based on care and service quality measures (among plans offering Medicare Parts C and D) across nine categories, including staying healthy, managing chronic conditions, member satisfaction, customer service and pharmacy services. The star ratings also measure health plans compliance performance.

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is one of only 14 plans nationwide to receive the highest possible rating of 5 out of 5 stars from CMS – placing it in the top four percent of plans nationwide.

"At Kaiser Permanente we want our members and patients to receive the kind of care and service that we would expect for ourselves and our families, and this 5-star rating is a testament to the superior quality and convenience we offer our members," said Kim Horn, president of Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States.

"We achieve these superior ratings year after year as a result of our exceptional physicians and the outstanding systems they have built," said Bernadette Loftus, MD, associate executive director, The Permanente Medical Group. "These ratings -- and other recent ratings -- prove that the best medical care in the Mid-Atlantic is found at Kaiser Permanente."

The methodology CMS uses for the star ratings is dynamic and evolves to ensure the ratings are as meaningful as possible to the quality a beneficiary can expect from their health plan. This means that Medicare health plans must stay ahead of the curve on measures that may be included in the 5-star portfolio, and continually improve their performance to achieve 5 stars.

Along with high-quality care and service, another benefit of 5-star plans is a longer enrollment opportunity. Medicare beneficiaries may change to a 5-star Kaiser Permanente individual Medicare plan through a CMS 5-star Special Enrollment Period from Dec. 8, 2016, to Nov. 30, 2017, without having to wait until the next annual enrollment period. All available Kaiser Permanente physicians welcome Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan members.

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

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.

This is the latest national recognition Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has received.

Last month, National Committee for Quality Assurance's (NCQA) ratings revealed Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States to be the only Private plan available through employer-sponsored health coverage in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia – and one of only 13 Private health plans available nationwide – to earn a 5 out of 5 rating from the 2016–2017 NCQA Health Insurance Plan Ratings. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has the highest rated Medicare plan in the Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

These ratings place Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States in the top three percent of commercial plans and top 10 percent of Medicare plans nationwide.

According to the newly released 2016 NCQA Quality Compass® data, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States rates No. 1 in the nation for breast cancer screening, controlling high blood pressure and five other quality measures.

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States has more national No. 1 ratings and regional No. 1 ratings than any other health plan available to residents in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. This is the fifth year in a row that Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is No. 1 in the U.S. for breast cancer screening.

About Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for more than 660,000 members through 29 medical centers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1980, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a total health organization comprising Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features more than 1,300 physicians. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is the only Private plan available through employer-sponsored health coverage in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia – and one of only 13 Private health plans available nationwide – to earn a 5 out of 5 rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2016–2017. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has the No. 1 Medicare plan in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, visit kp.org or follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/KPMidAtlantic, or Facebook, www.facebook.com/kpthrive.

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States