September 16, 2024

Independent Health once again earns 5-Star rating from NCQA

Independent Health is the only health plan in New York state and one of just three plans in the entire nation to be recognized by NCQA as a 5-Star Commercial Plan for Clinical Quality and Member Satisfaction.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (September 16, 2024) – For the second consecutive year, Independent Health is the only health plan in New York state to receive the highest possible rating of 5 stars for clinical quality and member satisfaction, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) 2024 Commercial Health Plan Ratings. Independent Health’s HMO/POS (Commercial) plan was also one of just three Commercial plans in the nation to earn 5-star status for 2024.

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. The annual NCQA Health Plan Ratings are a valuable tool because they help plans evaluate whether their members are receiving high-quality coordinated care and service.

As part of the 2024 Health Plan ratings, NCQA reviewed 581 health plans from across the country and rated their Commercial products based on their combined Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) and NCQA Accreditation scores. Each health plan was rated on a 5-star scale for patient experience, prevention and equity, and treatment.

“Independent Health is very proud to once again be recognized by NCQA as not only the highest-rated health plan in New York, but also one of the top performing plans in the entire nation,” said Michael W. Cropp, M.D., CEO, Independent Health. “By receiving NCQA’s prestigious 5-star recognition for a second straight year, Independent Health continues to outperform other plans when it comes to the quality of care our members receive and our efforts to improve the overall care experience. We work closely with our physician and provider partners to make sure our members get the appropriate preventive care and disease management services they need to stay healthy. Through these efforts, we have found that better care leads to less costs and healthier, happier members.”

In 2023, Independent Health became the first Western New York health plan to ever receive 5 stars from NCQA. Independent Health was previously a 4.5-star rated Commercial plan from 2015-2022.

TIn addition, Independent Health is Fully Accredited by NCQA for its Commercial line of business, which helps us to examine our data, understand the risk/cost/utilization of our membership, and organize population health programs that address the needs of our members.

Other Honors and Recognition for 2024
The 2024 5-star Commercial plan rating from NCQA culminates yet another impressive year of national recognition that has been bestowed upon Independent Health for all its lines of business.

• For the second straight year, Independent Health was the only health plan in the nation to earn 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for its entire 2024 Medicare Advantage product portfolio – Medicare HMO Plan, Medicare PPO Plan and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP). Independent Health was also the only Western New York insurer to be recognized as a 5-Star Rated Medicare Advantage Plan for 2024 in the eight-county service area. The Star Ratings are designed to help people assess the quality, value and performance of every Medicare Advantage plan throughout the nation. By using a 5-Star Quality Rating System, with 5 stars being the highest rating, CMS measures Medicare beneficiaries' experience with their health plans and the health care system on an annual basis.
• For the second year in a row, Independent Health was ranked number one among 79 health plans across the country participating in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program, which provides health insurance to federal employees, retirees and their covered dependents. This ranking was based on Independent Health’s outstanding QCR score, which highlights a plan’s performance in the areas of clinical quality, customer service and resource use. Independent Health, which covers more than 7,000 FEHB members, received the highest score in 15 of 23 categories, including cancer screenings, blood pressure control, diabetes care and overall health plan rating.
• For the third consecutive year, Independent Health achieved Tier 1 Status as part of the Medicaid Managed Care Quality Incentive Program through the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Independent Health’s overall score, which was based on data reporting from 2022, was the highest among all participating health plans throughout New York state. The NYSDOH Medicaid Managed Care Quality Incentive Program focuses on the performance in quality and member experiences of health plans.

The complete NCQA Health Plan Ratings for 2024 are available on NCQA’s website.

About NCQA
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA’s HEDIS^® is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s website (https://www.ncqa.org/) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices.