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The Honor Roll
What are the best health plans in America? These 20 health plans wound up topping the commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid managed-care health insurers for the 2008–2009 U.S. News rankings.
Rankings reflect results of consumer surveys and success in preventing and treating illness compared with average health plan. The highest possible score is 100 points.
· Best Health Plans Overview
First Up: No. 1 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 1: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
Overall Score: 91.2
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 2 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 2: Tufts Associated HMO
Overall Score: 91.2
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 3 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 3: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England
Overall Score: 90.6
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 4 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 4: Grand Valley Health Plan
Overall Score: 89.1
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction w/ Plan Svcs: Insuf. Data
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: Insufficient Data
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 5 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 5: Geisinger Health Plan
Overall Score: 88.2
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 6 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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Getty Images
No. 6: Health New England
Overall Score: 88.1
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 7 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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Getty Images/Blend Images
No. 7: Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield - Conn.
Overall Score: 87.8
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 8 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 8: Group Health Cooperative - So. Central Wis.
Overall Score: 87.8
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 9 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 9: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mass.
Overall Score: 87.8
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 2
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 10 Commercial PlanMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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Getty Images
No. 10: CIGNA HealthCare of N.H.
Overall Score: 87.8
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 1 Best MedicareMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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Stockbyte
No. 1: Preferred Care
Overall Score: 88.4
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 2 Best MedicareMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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jupiterimages
No. 2: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan - So. Calif.
Overall Score: 88.1
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 3 Best MedicareMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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Getty Images
No. 3: Geisinger Health Plan
Overall Score: 88.0
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 4 Best MedicareMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 4: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mass.
Overall Score: 87.9
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 5 Best MedicareMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 5: Security Health Plan of Wisconsin
Overall Score: 87.4
How It Performed (max score of 5)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 1 Best MedicaidMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 1: Fallon Community Health Plan
Overall Score: 89.8
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 2 Best MedicaidMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 2: Neighborhood Health Plan
Overall Score: 89.3
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 3 Best MedicaidMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 3: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Overall Score: 89.3
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 4 Best MedicaidMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 4: Neighborhood Health R.I.
Overall Score: 89.1
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
Next: No. 5 Best MedicaidMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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No. 5: Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Hawaii
Overall Score: 88.3
How It Performed (max score of 3)
Customer AssessmentGetting Care: 3
Satisfaction with Physicians: 3
Satisfaction with Plan Services: 3
PreventionImmunizing Children: 3
Women's Reproductive Health: 3
Cancer Screening: 3
TreatmentAsthma: 3
Diabetes: 3
Heart Disease: 3
More on AOL: Slash Medical CostsMore From U.S. News & World Report:
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More on WalletPop.com:
11 Ways to Slash Medical Costs
Now that you've seen the best health plans in the nation, check out 11 ways to save big bucks on your health care costs.
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Recent Comments
Volker19831 03:44:56 AM Dec 24 2008
the dr., in general do not care and why should they, they can kill people and still keep their lic.but limit tort recovery because is make drs. that kill people leave the state. that a good thing.sad state of affairs, the ins. are like cops, never liked one i ever met.
Teriqua 04:32:43 PM Nov 07 2008
In response to JHT8801;You must have ice in your veins! To say that a Brain Injured patient should only be given a CT to "cover the docs butt". Shame on you! This patient's life could be hell if your husband doesn't take care of him now.I was diagnosed with an inoperable Grade II Astrocytoma 3 years ago. After 20 years and more docs than I could list had treated me for severe headaches. None of my healthcare providers consider checking for this.And one doc completely missed the last boat when I told her about some episodes I experienced during which I had a metallic taste in my mouth, an overwhelming feeling of impending doom and thought I could smell Bleach (when there was none around). These are textbook signs of a focal seizure.My speech and memory were rapidly digressing. I had always worked hard to maintain my vocabulary and speaking abilities as they were crutial to my carrer.Finally, it was a friend who took me to the ER after the shock of watching me go through a Grand M
DADHELDENLEBEN 12:47:20 PM Nov 07 2008
Why are the top ranked plans in the northeast? Is there a bias in the methodology that gives them more points than other plans? Do they lie to the association, or "encourage" others to give them higher ratings? Or are there lots of plans, and so a few are bound to be good, especially if they are small? Or, least likely except perhaps for Harvard, are they actually better in some way?And what are their respective costs?
STWoodworth 12:01:45 PM Nov 07 2008
You forgot congress - they have the grand daddy of all plans, which, if you haven't been locked in a cave for the past year, we will all share shortly after January 21st. Can't wait to see THOSE premiums!
Pd39 11:50:31 AM Nov 07 2008
Took my wife to Kaiser in Riverside for abdominal pains. Waited almost three hours to be seen - after I had to throw a sh!t fit and tell a security guard how long we'd been waiting and telling him to bring it on if he wanted. One of us was going to see a Dr. quick. After we got taken back for care we waited another hour plus hours before anybody came to see us, and that was only a nurse for BP and temp. Finally got a nurse practitioner - not even a doctor - who poked and probed. By now my wife has no pain, can't find anything wrong, so they sent us home. Half way home, she folded up with pain again and passed out. I had to call an ambulance. They took her to another hospital, and her appendix was removed within an hour. Thanks Kaiser!! BTW, I canceled my Kaiser membership the next day.
Emmalu 10:49:15 AM Nov 07 2008
surely, any health plan would be good at this point, but they have all become cost prohibitive for a huge segment of the population. It is beyond me, that Our Country, has not instituted a health plan, not free, but affordable to everyone. More along the cost of a car payment not the cost of a mortgage. Many Americans live without health care because of this, including myself. I am not eligble for any assistance for I earn too much according to guidelines and I can't afford a health plan due to astronomical cost. I am willing to pay but can't afford the present health care costs.
Ladyinredzx2 09:50:26 AM Nov 07 2008
In response to Ky Rhett, I happen to be a member of one of those HMOs listed. It's truly a great health plan. I've been on it for approximately 20 years now and have never had a complaint! I'm also an insurance agent that deals with many regional carriers, so I can tell you first hand that some great plans really DO exist. I don't know where you live, but hopefully a great health plan will show up in your area sometime soon.
JHT8801 09:46:46 AM Nov 07 2008
The high cost of medical is because of GREED, just like the cause all the problems this country is suffering. My husband is a ER doc and if you suffer even a minor head injury he may order a CT scan for you (cost is at least $3,000)JUST TO COVER HIS BUTT in case you should decide to SUE hoping to get rich and so your lawyer can reap a huge profit. GREED. Who do you think PAYS for all this? No wonder our health care system is in such trouble. Oh, by the way--the next time you recieve a $10,000 bill from the emergency room, please realize that the ER doc that saw you recieved around $50 or maybe $75 of that total. If you don't believe me, ask any doctor or nurse.
KY RHETT 08:55:10 AM Nov 07 2008
Best Health Plans? When/where was this survey taken? Never heard of most of these companies. What states have them? Another bogus AOL survey!!
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