For the second year in a row, Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Northern California are the only two health plans in the state to earn five stars —the highest possible rating —for quality of medical care, according to the annual Health Care Quality Report Card issued by California’s Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA).
Pasadena-based Kaiser Permanente Southern California, with 4.8 million members, is the only health plan to receive the OPA’s top rating for “quality of medical care” for 16 consecutive years. The OPA report card provides California consumers with side-by-side comparisons of the largest HMOs and PPOs in the state. It rates them on national standard-of-care measures that involve the treatment and prevention of a range of conditions that have significant implications for personal health.
“We’re thrilled to receive this recognition that I attribute to the commitment of our dedicated clinicians, nurses, staff and physicians to providing the highest quality care available to our members,” said Michelle Gaskill-Hames, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii, Health Plan and Hospitals. “The health of our members has been, and will always be our top priority.”
“This accolade is a testament to our physicians and care teams having a strong and unrelenting commitment to providing our patients with excellent medical services,” said Dr. Ramin Davidoff, executive medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. “We’re committed to delivering safe, high-quality and compassionate care designed around our patients’ unique and individual health care needs.”
For the fifth year in a row, Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California are the only health plans in the state to achieve five stars with the OPA for overall clinical effectiveness in behavioral and mental health care.
Additional Kaiser Permanente Southern California accolades from the OPA include:
- Maternity care: Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California health plans are the only plans in the state to achieve five stars.
- Treating children: Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California health plans are the only plans in the state to achieve five stars.
- Appropriate use of tests, treatment and procedures: Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California health plans are the only plans in the state to achieve 5 stars.
- Asthma and lung disease care: Kaiser Permanente Southern California was the only plan in the state to receive five stars.
- Diabetes care: Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California health plans each received five stars, tied with two others for highest in the state.
- Preventive screenings: Kaiser Permanente Southern and Northern California each received five stars, tied with Sharp Health Plan for highest in the state.
Leading in Clinical Quality
The results from the OPA concur with the recent Covered California ratings, which gave Kaiser Permanente its highest rating for a health plan in the state for overall quality. Kaiser Permanente also was rated highest by members for care and service experience, according to the health plan ratings for 2024 by Covered California – the state’s health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act.
Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Kaiser Permanente Northern California earned five stars, the highest possible rating for Covered California’s “Overall Quality” rating. The health plans were compared to approximately 200 plans nationwide, and Kaiser Permanente’s 5-star plan scored among the top plans in the country.
Kaiser Permanente also ranked as the nation’s overall “Best Health Insurance Company,” according to Insure.com, a widely used web-based marketplace offering quotes for health, life, auto and home insurance policies. Insure.com also rated Kaiser Permanente highest in the country among health insurers for ease of service, policy offerings, most likely to be recommended, and most trustworthy.