New Ratings Mean High-Quality and Affordable Benefits for Blue KC Members
For Immediate Release: October 12, 2021
For more information contact:
Kelly Cannon
Kelly.Cannon@BlueKC.com
O: 816-395-3711
M: 816-686-3842
KANSAS CITY, MO. (October 12, 2021)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the 2022 Medicare Star Quality Ratings (Stars) for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, and at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), we could not be more excited with the results.
Our Blue Medicare Advantage plans rank better than ever.
Star Ratings are based on a 5-star rating system and are one of many tools available to help evaluate the quality and performance of an MA plan. For an MA plan to achieve an Overall Star Rating of 4 or 4.5 Stars, the plan must improve their prior year’s performance and achieve a higher performance than the industry. Last year, Blue Medicare Advantage (PPO) plans received a 4 out of 5 Star Rating, while Blue Medicare Advantage (HMO) plans received a 3.5 out of 5 Star Rating.
“We are thrilled to receive record high Star Ratings for 2022,” said Lori Rund, Blue KC Vice President for Government Programs. “This achievement would not have been possible without our Blue KC team’s relentless focus on our mission to improve the healthcare of our members.”
To help Medicare Beneficiaries choose an MA Plan, Medicare uses information from plan operations, member satisfaction surveys and health care providers to match performance to a Star value. By earning these ratings, Blue KC can continue to provide high-quality and affordable MA plans that also offer comprehensive extra benefits, such as a generous Over-the-Counter (OTC) allowance, hearing aids, eyewear allowances, dental and more.
Star Ratings are published annually for the upcoming Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), which begins October 15, 2021, and ends December 7, 2021. For information about Blue Medicare Advantage products, go to MedicareBlueKC.com.
Blue KC has partnered with George Brett, Kansas City Royals and MLB® Hall of Famer! You will see George featured in our AEP marketing campaign which includes television and radio commercials. Here’s a behind-the-scenes clip from our television commercial shoot.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Missouri and the only not-for-profit commercial health insurer in Kansas City, has been part of the Kansas City community since 1938. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City provides health coverage services to more than one million residents in the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and 30 counties in Northwest Missouri. Our mission: to provide affordable access to healthcare and to improve the health of our members. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information on the company, visit its website at BlueKC.com.
Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City’s Blue Medicare Advantage includes both HMO and PPO plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment in Blue Medicare Advantage depends on contract renewal. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The HMO products are offered by Blue-Advantage Plus of Kansas City, Inc. and the PPO products are offered by Missouri Valley Life and Health Insurance Company, both wholly owned subsidiaries of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.