HealthPartners Freedom plan earns Medicare 5-Star Rating

Freedom is one of just 15 health plans in the U.S. to receive five-out-of-five stars for quality, service measures

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — HealthPartners® Freedom (Cost) plan has been awarded a 5-Star Rating* from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2016 plan ratings. Freedom is one of only 15 health plans in the nation to receive Medicare's highest overall rating for measures on quality and service, and the only plan in Minnesota to receive this rating.

"This recognition goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to providing top-notch health care and coverage for members and patients," says Mary Brainerd, president and chief executive officer of HealthPartners. "We work hard to improve health and well-being, and this accomplishment is further proof of our commitment to meeting the health care needs of the members and patients we serve every day."

Each year, CMS evaluates all Medicare plans in the nation and awards a Star-rating based on more than 45 care and service quality measures in different categories— including staying healthy (e.g., tests, screenings and vaccinations), management of chronic conditions, member experience and satisfaction, and customer service.

Ratings are shared with consumers to help them compare plans based on quality of care and service delivery when selecting a plan. Plans with five stars are denoted on Medicare's plan finder website at medicare.gov/find-a-plan as a "high performer."

Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) (HMO SNP), another HealthPartners Medicare plan, was also recognized by CMS with 4.5 stars. MSHO is HealthPartners dual-eligibility plan for Medicare and Medicaid members.

This announcement follows the recent announcement that HealthPartners Freedom is the top-rated Medicare plan in Minnesota and is one of the highest-rated Medicare plans in the nation with a rating of 5 out of 5, according to the NCQA Medicare Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2015-2016**.

*Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.

**National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognized clinicians in key clinical areas. NCQA's HEDIS® is the most widely used performance measurement took in health care. NCQA's Web site (www.ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices. HealthPartners Freedom, a Medicare plan, is also known as Group Health Plan (Cost), Inc.