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 healthcare," 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.

The OPA rating follows several other honors received by Kaiser Permanente:

  • The National Committee for Quality Assurance ranked Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Medicare Plan No. 1 in the nation for member satisfaction, treatment, prevention and access, as reported in NCQA's "Health Insurance Plan Ranking 2012-2013/Medicare." Kaiser Permanente Southern California was also ranked the top commercial health plan in the State by NCQA.
  • Kaiser Permanente's Medicare plans in California received the highest rating available, a 5-star rating, from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. More than 430 plans were rated, and only 11 plans in the nation received a 5-star rating. 2013 was the third year that Kaiser Permanente in California received 5 stars and was the only health plan in the state to get the top rating.
  • Nine Kaiser Permanente Southern California hospitals were named "Top Hospitals" by The Leapfrog Group in 2013. Only 55 urban hospitals in the nation - of more than 1,300 surveyed - received this honor. Of the 23 California hospitals on the list, 19 were Kaiser Permanente hospitals, representing 83% of the state's urban "Top Hospitals." All fourteen Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California also received "A" grades in the Leapfrog Group's 2013 Safety Scores.

About Kaiser Permanente Southern California

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.6 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/share.

Kaiser Permanente
Southern California Region
Socorro Serrano
Office: 626-405-3004
Mobile: 323-627-5595
socorro.l.serrano@kp.org