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. 16 and are based on 2025 data from commercial, Medicare, Medicaid and ACA plans that reported HEDIS and CAHPS results to the NCQA, which cover approximately 236 million people. Some MA plan data is from 2024 because of reporting schedules, and NCQA Accreditation status was also factored in. Plans were rated on a zero- to five-star scale, with five being the highest rating. In total, 956 plans received a rating.
Commercial plans that received a five-star rating:
- BCBS Massachusetts
- Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (New York)
- Capital District Physicians’ Healthcare Network (New York)
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (Massachusetts, Maine)
- Independent Health (New York)
- Kaiser Mid-Atlantic (Washington, D.C.; Maryland; Virginia)
- Kaiser Northern California
- UPMC Benefit Management Services
- UPMC Health Plan
Medicare Advantage plans that received a five-star rating:
- Hometown Health (Nevada)
- Kaiser Southern California
- Kaiser Mid-Atlantic (Washington, D.C.; Maryland; Virginia)
- Kaiser Northern California
- Network Health (Wisconsin)
Medicaid plans that received a five-star rating:
- Fallon Community Health Plan (Massachusetts)
- Kaiser Southern California
- Kaiser Mid-Atlantic (Maryland)
- Kaiser Northern California
Ratings below five stars:
- 4.5 stars: 53 plans
- 4 stars: 227
- 3.5 stars: 355
- 3 stars: 205
- 2.5 stars: 83
- 2 stars: 13
- 1.5 stars: 1
- 1 star: 1
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