Group Health Earns Country’s Top Medicare Ratings for Quality and Service

Group Health Earns Country’s Top Medicare Ratings for Quality and Service

– Plan awarded prestigious 5-Star rating for Medicare, also ranks 12th in

country and #1 in Puget Sound and Eastern Washington for quality from

National Committee for Quality Assurance

SEATTLE, Oct. 14, 2013 — Group Health  announced today that its Clear Care (HMO) Medicare Advantage health plan received an overall rating of 5 Stars for Parts C and D, the highest rating available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for 2014. This is the third year Group Health received the 5-Star rating.

Additionally, Group Health’s Medicare Advantage plan ranked #12 in the nation, out of 403 health plans reviewed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and #1 in Puget Sound and Eastern Washington. These two national honors were issued independently of each other.

“At Group Health, improving the health of our members has been our mission since our founding in 1947.  We’re honored that our Medicare Advantage plan received the prestigious 5-Star rating from CMS again this year,” said Scott Armstrong, president and CEO of Group Health. “We must share this recognition with our members, many of whom have become involved in programs we offer and have taken an active role in their own health care journey.” 

About the 5-Star rating

Through the Medicare Star Quality Rating System, CMS assigns scores of one to five stars to Medicare Advantage plans based on more than 50 care and service quality measures across five categories. These include how a health plan helps its members stay healthy, manage chronic conditions, member satisfaction, customer service, and pharmacy services. A 5-Star rating represents plans with the greatest ability to consistently deliver quality care and service to Medicare beneficiaries.

Putting the news into historical perspective, Armstrong added, “At a time when American health care is in the news for its sweeping changes, Group Health members — including our Medicare Advantage plan holders — can experience a consistently high level of care on which they can rely in a period of significant change.”

CMS assesses star ratings each year, and these may change from one year to the next. View the current ratings via the Medicare “Plan Finder” on www.Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Plans that earn 5 Stars display a special icon for easy identification.

About the NCQA ranking

Additionally, Group Health's Clear Care (HMO) Medicare Advantage plan was also ranked 12th in the nation among 403 health insurance plans and first in the Puget Sound Region and Eastern Washington by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2013–2014—Medicare. The NCQA results will be published in the November issue of a leading national consumer magazine.

“This rating speaks to our health care providers’ efforts to provide a well-coordinated system for great care supported by great coverage,” said Group Health Physicians President and Chief Medical Officer Michael Soman, MD. “Whether our physicians are addressing preventative care or guiding a patient through managing a health concern, we seek to create a medical home for them, a place where members can turn for convenient, high-quality care that makes life a little easier.”

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care.

For more information about Group Health’s coverage plans, providers and ratings, visit www.ghc.org.

About Group Health Cooperative

Group Health is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit health systems, recognized for its consumer-governed cooperative origins and innovative solutions for improving care. Established in 1947, Group Health Cooperative, together with its subsidiaries Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, provides health coverage to more than 612,000 residents of Washington state and North Idaho.

More than 400,000 members receive care from Group Health Physicians medical group at Group Health Medical Center locations across the Puget Sound region and Spokane. Group Health advances health in the community through its medical education, charitable foundation, and nationally recognized research institute.