The Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California received five out of five stars, the highest rating possible, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) annual Star Quality Ratings for 2023.

This is the 12th straight year Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in California has been rated five out of five stars.

“Kaiser Permanente is proud to be consistently rated among the best in the nation for providing high-quality care and service to our Medicare health plan members – and all of our members – throughout Northern California,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “This five-star rating reflects the unwavering commitment of our physicians, care teams and staff to keeping our members leading healthy and productive lives.”

The CMS Medicare Part C (health plan) and Part D (drug plan) 5-Star Quality Rating system is designed to help people compare health and drug plans based on quality and performance. Plans that receive five out of five stars in the annual ratings are recognized as excellent. Plans that receive four out of five stars are above average.

The Medicare health plans in every other Kaiser Permanente region in the U.S. have been rated four stars or higher from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2023. Kaiser Permanente provides care to 1.8 million Medicare members (out of 12.6 million members total) in eight states and the District of Columbia.

“These ratings demonstrate the commitment of our physicians and care teams to providing excellent care and service to our patients,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS, chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “Our clinical expertise combined with the high-quality care we provide is improving the health and well-being of our members and patients.”

Every year, CMS rates all Medicare Advantage health plans (Parts C and D) on multiple facets of care and service, including chronic conditions management, health maintenance, patient experience, customer service, and pharmacy services. Kaiser Permanente’s star ratings demonstrate the value of its integrated health care delivery system, which brings a myriad of services together, in many cases all under one roof, and puts patients at the center of care.

Medicare-eligible people can enroll in individual Medicare Advantage plans during the Medicare open enrollment period, which begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, 2022. Visit kp.org/medicarestars to learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plans.

Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of its members and the communities it serves.