Few Plans Receive 5-Star NCQA Ratings

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)'s annual insurance rankings reveal only 5 plans earned a perfect 5-Star Rating, with most plans falling between 3 and 4 Stars, according to Fierce Healthcare. These findings emphasize the continued importance of transparency, quality, and equity in health care.

“Overall, the ratings are based on about 50 assessments tracking patient outcomes and experience, including HEDIS scores and the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey,” reported Fierce Healthcare. 

NCQA evaluates commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plans based on patient experience and clinical quality for a 1 to 5-Star Rating system. Only 2 plans received one star, 234 plans earned 3 Stars, 363 earned 3.5 Stars, and 264 earned 4 Stars.

“Annual Health Plan Ratings are vital to providing health care consumers with transparent and objective information about the quality and performance of health plans," said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. "Ratings not only help individuals make informed choices to receive the best possible care but also motivate health plans to improve their operations, with a focus on quality, equity and accountability."

The NCQA committee has updated its methodology for ratings to better address health equity and disparities. This year, it increased the scoring threshold for diversity of membership and placed more emphasis on this data point. The group emphasized the importance of collecting and measuring data on race and ethnicity to reduce disparity gaps.

Reference
Minemyer, P. NCQA released its annual health plan rankings. Here's how payers fared. Fierce Healthcare. Published September 16, 2024. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/ncqa-released-its-annual-health-plan-rankings-heres-how-payers-fared