The National Committee for Quality Assurance has named the highest-quality and most-effective health plans of 2026 based on clinical quality, patient experience and health plan accreditation status.
The ratings were released Sept. 15 and draw on 2025 data from commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and ACA plans that reported their HEDIS and CAHPS scores to the NCQA. NCQA accreditation status was also factored in, and plans were rated on a zero-to-five-star scale. In total, 956 plans received a rating.
Four Medicaid plans received five stars in 2026, a first after no Medicaid plan earned the top rating in either 2025 or 2024. An additional 13 Medicaid plans earned 4.5 stars.
Five-star Medicaid plans:
- Fallon Community Health Plan (Massachusetts)
- Kaiser Northern California
- Kaiser Southern California
- Kaiser Mid-Atlantic (Maryland)
4.5-star Medicaid plans:
- WellSense Health Plan (Massachusetts)
- Contra Costa Health Plan (California)
- Health New England (Massachusetts)
- Kaiser Hawaii
- Mass General Brigham Health Plan (Massachusetts)
- Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
- Pennsylvania Health & Wellness – Centene
- San Francisco Health Plan
- Health Plan of San Mateo (California)
- Tufts Health Public Plans (Massachusetts)
- UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Wisconsin
- UPMC For You (Pennsylvania)
- Vista Health Plan (operating as AmeriHealth Caritas Pennsylvania Community HealthChoices)
At the Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, taking place November 2–3 in Chicago, payer executives and healthcare leaders will come together to discuss value-based care, regulatory changes, cost management strategies and innovations shaping the future of payer-provider collaboration. Apply for complimentary registration now.
