10 Best Health Insurance Plans Named

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and U.S. News Media Group released the fifth annual edition of America's Best Health Insurance Plans on USNews.com. Published at the start of open-enrollment season, when Americans nationwide prepare to select their health coverage, the 2009-10 Best Health Insurance Plans guide provides consumers with comprehensive rankings and important detailed information for over 600 commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid health plans.

The full rankings of America's Best Health Insurance Plans are online today at www.usnews.com/healthplans. The highest-scoring 50 commercial plans, 25 Medicare plans, and 25 Medicaid plans, as well as the "Honor Roll" plans at the top of the rankings, will be featured in the December issue of U.S. 

The 2009-10 America's Best Health Insurance Plans rankings are based on analysis of 135 aspects of prevention, treatment, and member satisfaction, including such items as how quickly patients receive needed care and how well a plan controls blood sugar in people with diabetes. The Best Health Insurance Plans guide also identifies 120 plans that chose to report no data. 

"The choice of a health insurance plan is one of the most important a consumer makes each year," said NCQA President Margaret O'Kane. "The choices Americans are making this month will influence where they will get their care and whether that care will be of high quality or not. These rankings provide millions of people and families with the information they need to choose wisely." 

The complete 2009-10 America's Best Health Insurance Plans rankings are available at www.usnews.com/healthplans. Here is this year's Honor Roll, defined as the top 10 commercial plans, top 5 Medicare plans, and top 5 Medicaid plans: 

Top 10 Commercial Plans

Rank  Plan Name/States/Score--Type     

1     Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (Maine, Mass.) /91.1 --HMO/POS

2     Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England (N.H.)/90.2--HMO/POS

3     Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization (Mass., N.H., R.I)/89.9-- HMO/POS 

4     Grand Valley Health Plan (Mich.) /89.4--HMO

5     Capital Health Plan (Fla.)/ 89.0--HMO

6     Geisinger Health Plan (Pa.)/88.6--HMO/POS

7     Fallon Community Health Plan (Mass.)/88.0--HMO/POS

8     Health New England (Conn., Mass.)/87.9--HMO/POS

9     CIGNA HealthCare of New Hampshire (N.H.)/87.7--HMO/POS

10    Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (Wis.)/87.6--HMO

Top 5 Medicare Plans

 Rank  Plan Name/ States/Score-- Type

1     Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado (Colo.)/89.0--HMO

2     Fallon Community Health Plan  (Mass.)/88.8--HMO

3     Geisinger Health Plan (Pa.)/88.1--HMO

4     Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization (Mass.)/88.0--HMO

5     Capital Health Plan (Fla.)/87.6--HMO

 Top 5 Medicaid Plans

 Rank  Plan Name/ States/Score--Type  

1     Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Hawaii (Hawaii) /89.4 --HMO

2     Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan (Mass.)/89.3--HMO

3     Fallon Community Health Plan (Mass.)/89.3--HMO

4     Neighborhood Health Plan (Mass.)/88.2--HMO

5     Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (R.I.)/87.7--POS