OAKLAND — Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Medi-Cal health plan is the highest rated in the state for quality care, according to a December 2022 report from the state’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid health care program, which covers a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources.
To promote better health outcomes and preventive services, the DHCS requires Medi-Cal plans to report annually on a set of quality measures associated with children’s preventive services, women’s health preventive services, chronic medical conditions, and behavioral health conditions.
Kaiser Permanente’s Northern and Southern California Medi-Cal health plans were the only plans among more than two dozen in the state that achieved established quality levels for more than 90% of the measures.
“Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health of our members and communities we serve by providing care and coverage to those who otherwise couldn’t afford health care,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “We are proud to be recognized for the quality care we provide as we focus on improving the overall health of our communities.”
Kaiser Permanente is also the only Medicare health plan in California to receive a 5-star rating, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ 2023 Medicare Star Ratings.
“We are pleased to be rated among the highest in the state for delivering high-quality and equitable clinical care to patients in every community we serve,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS, chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “And we’ll continue to focus our efforts on further improving quality, access and service for all the patients who have entrusted us with their health and well-being.”
Last year, Kaiser Permanente Northern California received a 5-star rating for providing quality clinical care and behavioral and mental health care in the annual Health Care Quality Report Card from California’s Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) and was the only health plan in the state to receive a 5-star “Summary Quality Rating” from Covered California — the state’s marketplace for the Affordable Care Act.
Check out this short video on the history of Kaiser Permanente in pictures!