Kaiser Permanente Colorado is One of the Top Medicare Plans in the Nation

DENVER, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Medicare plan is second in the nation and one of the nation's top private health plans, according to a new ranking by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

This is the second year in a row Kaiser Permanente Colorado has been among the top Medicare plans in the nation in quality and member satisfaction.

Last month, Kaiser Permanente was recognized by the NCQA as the top private health plan in Colorado and No. 9 in the U.S. This was the first time a Colorado plan has achieved a top ten ranking out of nearly 300 private health plans across the country.  

"NCQA's Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2010-2011" appears online at www.NCQA.org.

"Our physicians, nurses and staff at Kaiser Permanente work together with our patients to provide exceptional care using an advanced system of electronic medical records. Year after year this is demonstrated, as we receive some of the highest quality scores in the U.S.," said Michael Chase, MD, associate medical director of Quality for Kaiser Permanente Colorado. "Ultimately, being recognized as one of the nation's top medical plans is all about our patients getting the care they need and deserve."

Kaiser Permanente serves more than 500,000 members in Colorado and these rankings reflect that a coordinated approach to delivering care, supported by an extensive system of electronic medical records has great benefits for patients. Kaiser Permanente excels in the treatment of chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. It also stands out in prevention, including immunizations and early detection of cancer.  

"The doctors at Kaiser Permanente were working in concert on the plan to get me cured.  I knew that nothing could possibly slip through the cracks," said Kaiser Permanente member, Margarita Vacanti, of her recent battle with breast cancer.  "I cannot imagine having to go through this experience without the support of Kaiser Permanente."

The rankings spotlight these additional benefits of quality health care:

• More than 200,000 Kaiser Permanente Colorado members are using secure electronic tools to e-mail their doctor, check test results and access their medical history online.
• 78 percent of Kaiser Permanente Colorado patients have their blood pressure under control, compared with 47 percent nationwide (CDC).
• Kaiser Permanente Colorado heart attack patients have a 76 percent reduced risk of dying within 10 years of their attack, compared to other heart attack patients.
• 75 percent of Kaiser Permanente patients are screened for colon cancer compared to 50 percent nationwide (CDC).  
• The ability to quickly access primary care physicians has led to improved patient outcomes, including reduced hospitalizations and ER admissions.

As further evidence of the quality care delivered to patients, earlier this year, Kaiser Permanente Colorado received NCQA's official Patient Centered Medical Home designation. Nearly 300 primary care physicians and 16 medical offices earned the top-level recognition, making Kaiser Permanente Colorado one of the largest medical providers in the nation to receive the designation.

FACTS ABOUT THE RANKINGS:

The rankings are based on data collected, analyzed and converted to scores by the NCQA. The three reporting categories include consumer satisfaction, prevention and treatment.  

Kaiser Permanente Colorado has the following prevention and treatment measures in the top ten for commercial/private health plans:

• Asthma care
• Diabetes care
• Anti depressant monitoring
• Childhood immunizations
• Cervical cancer screening

In addition, Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Medicare plan excelled in the following areas:

• Breast cancer screening
• Controlling high blood pressure
• Diabetes care
• Cholesterol monitoring
• Colorectal Cancer screening
• Mental health care follow-up
• Glaucoma Screening

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

Kaiser Permanente is proud to elevate the health of its members and all of Colorado by continuing to advance the concept of patient-centered care. We invite you to learn more about our commitment to excellence by listening to the stories of our patients and physicians at www.elevateyourhealthco.com.

www.ncqa.org

www.kpnewscenter.org

ABOUT KAISER PERMANENTE COLORADO

Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state's largest nonprofit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Denver, Boulder, and southern Colorado area residents for 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to more than 522,000 members through 20 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The health plan was recently named "Highest in Member Satisfaction" among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates for the third straight year. Kaiser Permanente was also named the top-ranked private health plan in Colorado and #9 in the nation for quality and member satisfaction by NCQA.  In 2009, Kaiser Permanente proudly directed more than $82 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/newscenter or follow us on twitter @kpcolorado or facebook.com/kpcolorado.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente