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TMCNet:  BRIEF: Western Health Advantage leads HMO ratings

[February 09, 2010]

BRIEF: Western Health Advantage leads HMO ratings

Feb 09, 2010 (The Sacramento Bee - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Most of the state's largest HMOs posted improvements in customer satisfaction, but California's latest Health Care Quality Report Card shows others still fall short on some measures.

The annual report released today by the state-run Office of the Patient Advocate evaluates California's nine largest health maintenance organizations, which serve about 12 million enrollees, and more than 200 medical groups across the state.

Western Health Advantage, which began as a partnership between the University of California, Davis and Catholic Healthcare West, was among three HMOs garnering the top, four-star ranking. PacifiCare of California and Kaiser Permanente's Southern California region were the others.

Kaiser's Northern California operations received a three-star rating, as did Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross and Aetna.

The Woodland Healthcare medical group and several Northern California groups under the banner of Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health received top ranking.

Detailed ratings can be found online at www.opa.ca.gov. The Web site allows users to compare health plans based on survey data. It does not, however, provide information on cost.

------ Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067.

To see more of The Sacramento Bee, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sacbee.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, The Sacramento Bee, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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