25 health plans recognized by Pharmacy Quality Alliance for high achievement in medication quality

The Pharmacy Quality Alliance has recognized 25 Medicare plan contracts with a PQA Laura Cranston Excellence in Quality or Quality Improvement Award for high achievement or significant improvement in PQA measures of medication safety and appropriate use.

The awards are based on the published CMS 2022 Medicare Part D Star Ratings, according to a May 4 press release. 

Excellence in Quality Award — Medicare Advantage drug plans
Medicare Advantage drug plans are recognized for achieving at least a 4.5-star Part D summary rating and a 5-star rating on all five PQA measures used in the 2022 CMS Star Ratings program.

1. Alignment Healthcare USA (H3815 — Alignment Health Plan)
2. Cigna (H5410 — Cigna)
3. Devoted Health (H7993 — Devoted Health)
4. Humana (H1019 — CarePlus Health Plans)
5. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan  (H2172 — Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States)
6. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (H0524 — Kaiser Permanente Northwest)
7. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (H9003 — Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California)
8. South Country Health Alliance (H2419 — South Country Health Alliance)
9. Stonerise Senior Advantage Holdings (H9153 — West Virginia Senior Advantage)
10. UNICO Premier (H3291 — PruittHealth Premier)

Excellence in Quality Award — prescription drug plans
Prescription drug plans are recognized for achieving at least a 4.5-star Part D summary rating and at least a 4-star rating on all five PQA measures used in the 2022 CMS program.

1. Anthem Insurance BCBS Massachusetts, BCBS Rhode Island and BCBS Vermont (S2893 — Blue MedicareRx)
2. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public Schools Retirement System (E3014 — PSERS Health Options Program)
3. HealthPartners (S1822 — HealthPartners)
4. Highmark Health (S1140 — Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York and Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York)
5. Independence Health Group (S6875 — Independence Blue Cross)
6. Independent Health Association (S4501 — Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions PDP)
7. Moda Partners (S5975 — Moda Health Plan)
8. MVP Health Care (S0586 — MVP Health Care)
9. Point32Health (S0655 — Tufts Health Plan)
10. SSM Health Care Corp. (S9701 — Navitus MedicareRx)
11. The Carle Foundation (S4219 — Health Alliance Medicare Prescription Plan)
12. UPMC Health System (S3389 — UPMC Health Plan)

Quality Improvement Award — Medicare Advantage drug plans
The Quality Improvement Award recognizes Medicare Advantage drug plans and prescription drug plans that received a 5-star rating on the 2022 CMS Quality Improvement measure and the greatest combined improvement in star ratings from 2021 to 2022 on the five PQA medication measures used in the CMS program during this period.

1. Athena Healthcare Holdings (H0982 — Solis Health Plans) 
2. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (H5587 — Health Choice Arizona)

Quality Improvement Award — prescription drug plans

1. Mutual of Omaha (S7126 — Mutual of Omaha Rx)