South San Francisco, CA November 2, 2017 Submitted by Joe Fragola, Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California are the only health plans to receive top score for clinical quality from the Office of the Patient Advocate
For the 10th consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California are the only health plans in California to earn a four-star rating — the highest possible — for overall clinical effectiveness in the annual Healthcare Quality Report Card from California’s Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA).
The 2017-2018 report card provides California consumers with side-by-side comparisons of the largest HMOs and PPOs in the state. It ranks them on national standard-of-care measures that involve treatment and prevention of a range of conditions that have significant implications for personal health. Ten of the state’s largest HMOs and five PPOs are compared in the report card, and Kaiser Permanente is the only one with the top rating possible for overall clinical performance measures.
Kaiser Permanente in both Northern and Southern California received three stars in the “Patients Rate their Experience” category, which measures members’ satisfaction with their care and service.
“This rating demonstrates that our integrated model of care and coverage results in healthier and happier members,” said Janet Liang, president, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “Our care teams make safe, high quality care a top priority.”
This year, Kaiser Permanente in Northern California earned top scores for overall quality of medical care, earning the state’s only four-star plan for behavioral and mental health. The plan also received four stars for heart care, maternity care, checking for cancer, chlamydia screening, diabetes care and “getting the right care” for children.
“The combination of exceptional physicians, integration, and advanced technology is helping us save lives every day,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group. “I’m very proud of all of our physicians and staff who together have created superior quality outcomes for our patients, which is very deserving of this four-star rating.”