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HMSA, Kaiser get high marks

The National Committee for Quality Assurance has awarded its highest level of accreditation to the health plans offered by the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii.

Kaiser is Hawai'i's largest health maintenance organization with 223,000 members statewide. HMSA is the state's biggest medical insurer with more than 600,000 members.

HMSA's Preferred Provider Plan received NCQA's "full" accreditation, which is valid for three years. The company's Health Plan Hawaii HMO received an "excellent" rating for its commercial and Medicare HMO plans. NCQA gave Kaiser an "excellent" rating for its commercial, Medicaid and Medicare HMO plans.

NCQA is an independent, nonprofit organization that reports on the quality of the nation's managed care organizations, covering consumer protection, member service, access to care and physician credentialing.

HMSA receives A+ ratings

Standard & Poor's yesterday affirmed its A+ credit and financial strength ratings for Hawaii Medical Service Association and said the company's outlook remains stable.

The rating agency said the affirmation reflects HMSA's market leadership in Hawai'i, managed care capabilities, strong capitalization, and "strong earnings profile."