News release: National

September 23, 2004

For more information, call:
Beverly Hayon
Kaiser Permanente
Phone: (510) 271-5953
E-mail: Beverly.Hayon@kp.org

Again! Care at Kaiser Permanente ranks at the top in NCQA's 2004 state of health care quality report

Oakland, CA – For the second consecutive year the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has named Kaiser Permanente of Colorado one of the nation's top ten health plans. It also awarded seven of Kaiser Permanente's regions the highest regional ratings. Kaiser Permanente's Northern California, Southern California, Northwest, and Hawaii regions once again dominated the Pacific Region's top five health plans. Kaiser Permanente of Georgia and the Mid-Atlantic States were among the top five in the Southern Atlantic region. In addition to its top national rating, Kaiser Permanente of Colorado also rated among the top five regional health plans.

"This is clear evidence that health care in an organized setting like Kaiser Permanente offers the public the best chance to receive the care that will keep them healthy and improve the quality of their lives," stated Francis J. Crosson, MD, executive director of the Permanente Federation. "Kaiser Permanente's integrated health care system makes it easier to provide patients with a team of clinicians to manage their care, track their progress, and prompt them for preventive screenings. We have nationally recognized models for managing chronic diseases, and the results can be seen in these ratings."

An independent, nonprofit organization that measures the quality of the nation's health care, NCQA accredits health plans, and serves as a resource for purchasers, regulators and consumers. The annual report is based on an analysis of health plan performance measures from NCQA's database of performance information of 563 health plans providing health care coverage to about 69 million Americans.

Kaiser Permanente's regions ranked highly among the standardized categories measured by NCQA. For example, Kaiser Permanente of Colorado topped the list in managing cholesterol levels following a heart attack. Of the 95 percent of Kaiser Permanente's patients who received regular cholesterol checks after a heart attack, 94 percent had their cholesterol levels under control—the highest percentage in the nation examined by NCQA. Colorado also ranked above the national average in nearly all other areas of care evaluated, including:

Eye exams for people with diabetes—scored second in the nation, 29 percent above the national average.
Cholesterol management screening—scored fourth in the nation, 15 percent above the national average.
Lipid control in diabetics—scored fifth in the nation, 17 percent above the national average.

Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health care organization. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8.3 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today, it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.; Kaiser Foundation Hospitals; and the Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 134,000 technical, administrative, and clerical employees and about 11,000 physicians representing all specialties. http://www.kaiserpermanente.org