Kaiser Permanente Colorado's Medicare plan achieves rare 5-star NCQA rating; organization's commercial plan maintains 4-star rating as highest in state for sixth consecutive cycle

The National Committee for Quality Assurance, one of the top health care accrediting bodies nationally, gave Kaiser Permanente of Colorado’s commercial and Medicare health plans the highest ratings in Colorado. The Medicare health plan is 1 of only 2 Medicare health plans in the U.S. to earn a 5-star rating from NCQA, which looked at more than 1,000 commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid plans.

NCQA ratings are one of the primary industry measures of health plan quality. The ratings are based on nearly 50 nationally recognized assessments of patient care outcomes and experience.

Kaiser Permanente of Colorado’s Medicare health plan earned a rare rating of 5 stars from NCQA, up from 4.5 in 2023. Kaiser Permanente of Colorado’s commercial plan received a 4-star NCQA rating in 2024, holding steady from 2023 and making it tied for the highest rating in the state.

This marked the sixth ratings cycle in a row (no ratings were given in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) that Kaiser Permanente of Colorado’s commercial and Medicare health plans were either the highest-rated plans or tied for the highest-rated plans in the state by NCQA.

“The NCQA ratings recognize the dedication of our staff and physicians to providing outstanding care and service to every Kaiser Permanente member,” said Mike Ramseier, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in Colorado. “This is central to our mission of delivering high-quality, affordable health care and to improving the health of the members and communities we serve.”

Jeff Krawcek, MD, president and executive medical director of Kaiser Permanente in Colorado, said the ratings are also meaningful to Kaiser Permanente’s medical staff.

“The ratings reflect the care and compassion of our doctors and the teams they lead,” Dr. Krawcek said. “It means a lot to have their work recognized in Colorado.”

Also in 2024, Kaiser Permanente’s commercial health plan was rated the highest performing in the state for approximately 70 effectiveness of care measures in the National Committee for Quality Assurance Quality Compass report. The care measures include:

• Controlling high blood pressure, which is important for preventing heart attack and stroke
• Prenatal and postpartum depression screening and follow-up on positive screens
• Appropriate treatment of children and older adults with upper respiratory infections
• Depression remission and response for adolescents and adults
• Depression screening and follow-up for adolescents and adults
• Several measures for controlling diabetes

NCQA is not the only organization to recognize Kaiser Permanente. In spring 2024, Insure.com named Kaiser Permanente the top-rated “health insurance company” nationwide in a study of more than 70 leading organizations. It was rated highest for:

• Customer satisfaction
• Price/affordability
• Trustworthiness

Kaiser Permanente of Colorado’s Medicare health plan also earned 4 out of 5 stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2025 as part of its Medicare Star Quality Ratings.

In August, 5280 Magazine named 332 Kaiser Permanente physicians to its 2024 Top Doctors list — more than any other health care organization in Colorado. Kaiser Permanente also had the most top doctors in 10 medical specialty areas.

Learn more about NCQA’s ratings and methodology and the other awards and recognition Kaiser Permanente has received.

Kaiser Permanente is an HMO, HMO-POS, and PPO plan with Medicare contracts. Enrollment in Kaiser Permanente depends on contract renewal.