Skip to main content

Kaiser Permanente Has Highest‑Rated Health Plans in Oregon and Washington

Rankings announced by National Committee for Quality Assurance; to be published in major consumer magazine
September 23, 2014

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest’s Medicare and commercial (private) health plans are ranked number one in quality and performance among health plans in Oregon and Washington, and third and fifth respectively in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).* NCQA is widely recognized as the gold standard in evaluating quality and performance of health plans. 

This is the fourth year in a row Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest has received the top rank in Oregon and Washington.

“The needs of our members are always top of mind – whether it’s ease of online appointing and bill pay, preventive health or life-saving procedures,” said Andrew R. McCulloch, regional president, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plan of the Northwest. “High‑quality, affordable health care for our members and the communities we serve is our mission; I can’t think of a better reward than to have our work validated in this way.”

More than 400 Medicare plans and 500 commercial plans across the nation were ranked on member satisfaction, prevention and treatment. For the second year in a row, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest scored a 5 out of 5 in all three the categories. NCQA measures plans based on their Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) for clinical quality, data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for patient experience, and standards from the NCQA Accreditation process.

“These results reflect Kaiser Permanente’s laser-like focus on delivering the best preventive and clinical care possible,” said Jeffrey Weisz, MD, president and executive medical director of Northwest Permanente, PC. “Our unique, integrated model that offers medical and dental care along with health plan coverage under one umbrella sets the standard for coordinated, accountable care.”

Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s commitment to easy and convenient care for patients means that members often have access to things like same-day primary care appointments. In April 2014, Kaiser Permanente Northwest launched OpenNotes, online member access to primary and specialty care clinicians’ visit notes. Research shows that OpenNotes improves communication between clinician and patient, and encourages them to become more active and involved in their care.

The complete NCQA health plan rankings are available at www.ncqa.org/rankings.The full results will be published later this month in a major consumer magazine.

Comments