Kaiser Permanente Earns Top Marks for Providing High-Quality Care to Medicare Advantage Patients in California

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Jan 26, 2017, 11:01 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that the Permanente Medical Groups serving Kaiser Permanente members and patients across California received 5-star ratings for overall performance — the highest recognition possible by the California Office of the Patient Advocate — in the second annual Medical Group Report Card for Medicare Advantage Members.

In all, the Permanente Medical Groups in California received a 5-star overall rating at four medical centers and a 4.5-star overall rating at 24 medical centers.

These high marks from OPA mirror the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2017 Medicare star quality ratings, in which Kaiser Permanente in California and three other regions received 5 out of 5 stars for Medicare Advantage, and a 2016 J.D. Power survey that ranked Kaiser Permanente highest in Medicare Advantage member satisfaction for the second consecutive year.

"We are proud to be recognized for the high-quality care we provide to Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage members," said Michael Kanter, MD, executive vice president and chief Quality officer of The Permanente Federation, the national organization for the nearly 19,000 physicians who provide care to Kaiser Permanente members and patients. "Our physician-led Permanente Medical Groups provide exceptional team-based care, using the latest technology and comprehensive systems to consistently deliver superior outcomes for our patients."

Together, The Permanente Medical Group in Northern California and the Southern California Permanente Medical Group provide care for approximately 1.1 million Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage members in California.

The OPA Medicare Advantage report card rated 186 medical groups on 13 measures that are a subset of those used by CMS, ranging from rates of breast and colorectal cancer screenings to preventing hospital readmissions.

The data in the Medical Group Medicare Advantage Report Card was provided by physician organizations that participate in the Medicare Advantage Measurement Program and compiled by the Integrated Healthcare Association, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that collects data for quality improvement and public reporting purposes.

"We believe California is the only state in the country providing overall Medicare Advantage star quality ratings at the physician organization level," said IHA President and CEO Jeffrey Rideout, MD, "and we applaud all California physician organizations for leading the way in making health care quality more transparent."

In 2016, The Permanente Medical Group and Southern California Permanente Medical Group also received high marks in the OPA's Medical Group Report Card for Commercial HMO Plan Members and were recognized for Excellence in Healthcare by IHA for providing high quality health care at lower costs. To earn IHA's Excellence in Healthcare Seal, groups had to be in the lowest 50 percent among statewide medical groups in cost, and the top 50 percent statewide in quality and patient experience.

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 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10.6 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal 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. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.

Information: Marc Brown
[email protected] 510-271-6328

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente