Kaiser Permanente Earns Top 4-Star Rating in California’s Annual Clinical-Quality Report Card

Kaiser Permanente outperforms all health plans for quality of care, as measured by the Office of the Patient Advocate

January 28, 2014

PASADENA, Calif. — For the sixth consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente has received an excellent rating, four stars in the “HMO Provides Recommended Care” category of the 2014 HMO Quality Report Card released today by the California Office of the Patient Advocate.

Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Northern California again earned the highest possible rating for overall quality of care as measured by cancer screenings, diabetes care, heart care, hypertension treatment, maternity care and other quality-of-care measures. No other health plan received the top rating for overall clinical care measures.

“At Kaiser Permanente, our focus is on the patient. We are delighted that our members are so positive about the care they receive, from prevention to our top-notch care treating diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease,” said Edward Ellison, MD, executive medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. “We offer our patients a medical “home,” with all services under one roof. Reports like this one and others, tell us our members are happy here.”

Kaiser Permanente in both Northern and Southern California also received four stars in the “Patients Rate their HMO” category, which measures members’ satisfaction with their care and service.

“Providing patient-centered quality care — doing what is best for the member — is why we are a leader in health care,” said Benjamin Chu, MD, MPH, MACP, group president for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “Our comprehensive medical records technology, combined with our integrated care system, lets patients transfer seamlessly from primary to specialty care and from medical office to hospital. These convenience factors, along with the high quality of our medical care, make Kaiser Permanente Southern California an increasingly attractive choice for members and employers alike.”

The annual HMO Quality Report Card gives California consumers side-by-side comparisons of the ten largest HMO and six PPO health plans in the state, ranking them on several national “quality of care” and “member care experience” measures that have significant implications for personal health.