Kaiser Permanente Ohio only Medicare Health Plan in State to Receive 5-Star Designation from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CLEVELAND, Oct. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced today that Kaiser Permanente Ohio's Medicare Health plan earned 5 stars, the highest overall rating for quality and service in the state and across the nation.

Kaiser Permanente Ohio is the only health plan in the state and one of 11 in the entire country that have been designated as 5-star plans by CMS for 2013.

"We are extremely honored to be recognized for the exceptional quality and care we provide our members," stated Patricia Kennedy-Scott, regional president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Ohio. "The Medicare Star Ratings are a simple and objective way to help consumers compare Medicare health plans for overall quality and service so they can have complete confidence in their choice."

Each year, through the Medicare Star Quality Ratings system, CMS rates Medicare health plans (both parts C and D) on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 stars representing the highest quality. The overall scores are based on more than 50 care and service quality measures across five categories, including staying healthy, managing chronic conditions, member satisfaction, customer service and pharmacy services.

"At Kaiser Permanente, we are committed to providing high-quality care and service that our patients expect from us, and we're pleased that the Medicare Star Ratings reflect this commitment," added Ronald Copeland, MD, FACS, president and executive medical director for the Ohio Permanente Medical Group, the exclusive network of physicians and multi-specialists for Kaiser Permanente Ohio.

The announcement follows the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2012–2013, which listed Kaiser Permanente Ohio as the top Medicare plan in the state.

Kaiser Permanente has participated in the Medicare program since its inception in 1965, and has a long history of providing high-quality care and service to its members.

Medicare beneficiaries can learn more about the Medicare Star Quality Ratings and Kaiser Permanente's Medicare plans by visiting kp.org/medicarestars or medicare.gov, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Plan performance summary star ratings are assessed each year and may change from one year to the next.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health care delivery system providing both nationally recognized health care providers and not for profit health plans. Kaiser Permanente Ohio has 15 medical offices serving Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage, Stark, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Geauga, and Wayne counties and holds the 2012-13 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) "Excellent" accreditation ratings for its HMO and Medicare products. Kaiser Permanente of Ohio received the "2011 Partner for Change Award" from Practice Greenhealth, and Fast Company magazine rated Kaiser Permanente the fifth most innovative health care company in the world. KP Ohio was a 2012 NorthCoast 99 "Best Place to Work" award recipient. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente