Star ratings released for BCBSRI, Tufts, UnitedHealthcare Medicare plans

BLUE CROSS & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare performed well on the 2017 Star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
BLUE CROSS & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare performed well on the 2017 Star ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

PROVIDENCE – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Tufts Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc. performed well on the annual Star ratings for 2017 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The CMS assigns Star ratings from one to five, with five being the highest, to Medicare Advantage plans. Ratings were released earlier this month.
More than 40 measures are considered for the ratings, from managing chronic conditions and customer satisfaction to pharmacy services and operational efficiency. The ratings are meant to guide consumers when comparing quality between Medicare Advantage plans.
BCBSRI received a 4.5 star quality ranking for its seven Medicare plans: BlueCHiP for Medicare Advance, BlueCHiP for Medicare Core, BlueCHiP for Medicare Extra, BlueCHiP for Medicare Plus, BlueCHiP for Medicare Preferred, BlueCHiP for Medicare Standard with Drugs and BlueCHiP for Medicare Value.
“This designation symbolizes our commitment to delivering high-quality health care coverage to Rhode Island seniors in partnership with local providers,” Corey McCarty, BCBSRI, vice president, consumer segment, said in a statement.

Tufts received a 5 out of 5 star quality ranking for its Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options plans.
Tufts said its Medicare Preferred HMO plan is the largest Medicare Advantage plan in Massachusetts with nearly 105,000 members.
“The 5 Star rating reflects the efforts of our entire organization, and of each and every interaction we have with our members,” Patty Blake, president of senior products at Tufts Health Plan, said. “It also reflects the collaboration with the providers in our network, who provide high-quality care and service to these older adults, many of whom have complex medical needs. We take great pride in achieving this distinction as it reflects our continuous commitment to ensure the best possible service and care for all of our members.”
UnitedHealthcare had four plans with a 4.5 star rating: AARP Medicare Complete Essential, AARP Medicare Complete Plan 1, AARP Medicare Complete Plan 2 and AARP Medicare Complete Plan 3. UnitedHealthcare’s AARP Medicare Complete Choice plan earned a 4 star rating.
In addition, the CMS released star ratings for Medicare Part-D stand-alone prescription drug plans.
In Rhode Island, BCBSRI’s Blue MedicareRx Value Plus (basic) and Premier (enhanced) plans were the only plans to receive 5 star ratings. Receiving 4 star ratings were Express Scripts’ Medicare Choice (enhanced) and Value (basic) plans, and SilverScript’s Choice (basic) and Plus (enhanced) plans.
Receiving ratings of 3.5 stars were Aetna Medicare Rx Saver (basic), First Health Part D Premier Plus (enhanced), First Health Part D Value Plus (enhanced) and UnitedHealthcare AARP Medicare Rx Preferred (enhanced).
Receiving 3 star ratings were: EnvisionRx Plus (basic), Humana Enhanced, Humana Preferred Rx Plan (basic), Humana Walmart Rx Plan (enhanced) and UnitedHealthcare’s AARP MedicareRx Saver Plus (basic).
UnitedHealthcare’s AARP MedicareRx Walgreens (enhanced) and its Symphonic Value Rx (basic) received 2.5 stars, as did the WellCare Classic (basic) and WellCare Extra (enhanced).

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