High rating reflects the expert medicine, seamless care and outstanding service provided to Kaiser’s 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

OAKLAND, CA — Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plan in California is rated among the best in the state for providing high-quality, seamless care, and outstanding service to its 1.4 million Medicare Advantage members.

This year, the Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California received 4.5 out of 5 stars, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2025 Star Ratings. In addition, the Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California is tied for the highest star rating in the state.

“These ratings demonstrate our commitment to providing high-quality care and exceptional service to all of our Northern California members, including our Medicare Advantage members,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “Kaiser Permanente is routinely recognized as being among the nation’s best for improving the health and well-being of our members and patients.”

The Kaiser Permanente Medicare health plan in California has been highly rated – with mostly 4.5 and 5 star ratings – for the past 15 years.

“Our clinicians work together across all specialties to ensure personalized, high-quality care for our patients,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “The CMS Star Ratings, along with our nation-leading NCQA ratings, demonstrate the commitment of our physicians and care teams to provide all of our patients with the exceptional and compassionate care they need to live long, healthy lives.”

Ratings reflect high-quality care and service

Every year, CMS publishes Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) ratings. The ratings offer consumers a way to compare the quality of Medicare plans.

To develop the ratings, CMS considers many areas of care and service. For example, it looks at how well health plans keep members healthy and manage their chronic conditions. CMS also considers patient experiences, customer service, patient access, and pharmacy services.

Kaiser Permanente provides care to more than 1.9 million Medicare members in 8 states and the District of Columbia.

Northern and Southern California are rated together as one contract with CMS. Kaiser Permanente’s Dual Eligible-Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) H-contract (H8794) began in California on January 1, 2024, and is too new to be measured for the 2025 Star Ratings. It will be eligible beginning with the 2026 Star Ratings if the contract has sufficient enrollees and measures rated.

Ongoing recognition for Kaiser Permanente’s health plans

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) also recently ranked Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s health plans as the highest rated in California – and among the highest in the nation – for providing expert, coordinated care, and exceptional service.

Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare and commercial health plans in Northern California each received 4.5 out of 5 stars, according to NCQA’s 2024 Health Plan Ratings. This was the ninth ratings period that Kaiser Permanente Northern California was the highest-rated plan in the region and among the highest in the country. Nationally, only 8% of the health plans are rated 4.5 stars or higher.

NCQA also ranked Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plans as best in the state for overall treatment, prevention, equity, and patient experience.

Enrolling in a Kaiser Permanente Medicare Health Plan

Medicare’s annual enrollment period for all 2025 Medicare health plans begins on October 15 and runs through December 7, 2024.

Medicare beneficiaries can learn more about the CMS’ star ratings and Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare health plans by visiting kp.org/medicarestars.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org. 

Application period for Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health Care Program opens Nov. 1st

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Many low-income Californians make too much money to qualify for Medi-Cal, but they’re unable to get affordable health coverage anywhere else. Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health Care Program (CHCP) was designed with them in mind.

The Kaiser Permanente CHCP provides comprehensive, affordable health care coverage for qualified low-income adults and children in California who don’t have access to other public or private health coverage.

Open enrollment for CHCP is Nov. 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025.

Eligible Californians receive comprehensive health coverage from Kaiser Permanente including preventive services, without paying a monthly premium. They also don’t pay copays or out-of-pocket costs for most care at Kaiser Permanente facilities.

“Even with the expansion of Medi-Cal in 2024, too many Californians remain uninsured,” said Yvette Radford, vice president, External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “The Community Health Care Program helps address this gap, providing Kaiser Permanente’s high-quality care and coverage to eligible Californians in our service areas.”

Who is eligible for the Community Health Care Program?

The program is designed for applicants who meet the following criteria:
• total household annual income of no more than 3 times the federal poverty level (Example: up to $45,180 for an individual or up to $93,600 for a family of 4 in 2024)
• not eligible for any other health coverage, including Medi-Cal, Medicare, a job-based health plan, or Covered California
• must live in a Kaiser Permanente California service area

Individuals do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify. Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2025.

How to apply

As of November 1, you can apply online at www.kp.org/chcp. Click the “apply now” button at the top of the website for a link to the application. If you need assistance, click the “get help” button for a list of community agencies that can provide help, or call Kaiser Permanente Member Services at 1-800-464-4000 (TTY 711).

Estimates according to a new USGS predictive model. Exposure to some PFAS may lead to adverse health risks.

Antioch has some of the highest levels

Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states – more than 20% of the country’s population – may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies. These findings are according to a U.S Geological Survey study published Oct. 24. The predictive model results can help members of the public, water suppliers and regulators understand the potential for PFAS contamination, guide future studies and inform strategic planning for water resources.

USGS scientists are the first to report national estimates of PFAS occurrence in untreated groundwater that supplies water to public and private wells. This research also provides the first estimate of the number of people across the country who are potentially affected by PFAS-contaminated groundwater.

Along with a scientific report, the USGS published an interactive, online map so users can see probability estimates of PFAS occurrence. Note that predictive results are intended to be evaluated at state, regional and national scales rather than at individual household levels. Probability estimates are for the presence of PFAS in groundwater and do not account for any subsequent actions taken by states, municipalities or individuals to treat drinking water. The model does not include estimates of PFAS concentrations; testing is the only way to confirm the presence of contaminants.

Exposure to certain PFAS may lead to adverse health risks in people, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of common applications, from the linings of fast-food boxes and non-stick cookware to fire-fighting foams and other purposes. PFAS are commonly called “forever chemicals” because many of them do not easily break down and can build up over time, making them a concern for drinking water quality.

“This study’s findings indicate widespread PFAS contamination in groundwater that is used for public and private drinking water supplies in the U.S.,” said Andrea Tokranov, USGS research hydrologist and lead author of this study. “This new predictive model can help prioritize areas for future sampling to help ensure people aren’t unknowingly drinking contaminated water. This is especially important for private well users, who may not have information on water quality in their region and may not have the same access to testing and treatment that public water suppliers do.”

The EPA has established legally enforceable levels, called maximum contaminant levels, for six types of PFAS in drinking water. The EPA regulates public water supplies, and some states have additional regulations for drinking water. Some homes use private water supplies, where residents are responsible for the maintenance, testing and treatment of their drinking water. Those interested in treatment processes and testing options can read EPA’s guidance or contact their state officials or water supplier.

The states with the largest populations relying on public water supplies with potentially contaminated groundwater sources are Florida and California. Regarding private wells, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio have the largest populations relying on potentially contaminated groundwater.

The study also presents data according to population percentage. In Massachusetts, for example, the source water for 86 to 98% of people who rely on groundwater from public water supplies could be contaminated with PFAS. In Connecticut, the source water for 67 to 87% of the people who rely on groundwater from private wells could be affected. Details by state can be seen in the report’s tables S6 through S8.

“To derive these estimates, the team analyzed 1,238 groundwater samples collected by USGS scientists and determined how factors such as urban development and well depth can impact PFAS occurrence,” continued Tokranov. “With that information, a detailed machine learning model was developed and used to identify which geographic areas have a higher likelihood for contamination. That information was combined with existing USGS research on the number of people in a given area who rely on groundwater for drinking water to establish population estimates.”

Scientists present separate estimates for public and private wells because they typically receive water from different groundwater depths. Public wells using groundwater as the primary water source are usually deeper than private wells.

There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, not all of which can be detected with current tests; the USGS study tested for the presence of 24 common types. The USGS estimates consider the presence of at least one of those 24 types of PFAS. The most frequently detected compounds were perfluorobutane sulfonate known as PFBS, perfluorooctane sulfonate known as PFOS and perfluorooctanoate known as PFOA.
This research provides a broad outlook for the Lower 48 states and presents state-level estimates. Scientists did not look in detail at specific cities or provide estimates for the types of PFAS present or PFAS concentrations.

The new USGS study was published in Science.

Learn more about USGS research on PFAS by reading the USGS strategy for the study of PFAS in the environment and visiting the USGS PFAS Integrated Science Team’s website.

For more information about PFAS regulations, visit the EPA’s website on addressing PFAS.

By Antioch Police Department

Join us this Saturday, October 26th, from 10 am to 2 pm at the DEA Take Back event! Dispose of your unused medications safely and anonymously at convenient local drop-off locations nationwide. Locate a collection site near you: www.DEATakeBack.com.

Solid and liquid medications may be disposed. No medical sharps will be accepted.

Where: Antioch Police Department
300 L Street, Antioch
Inside the front lobby
From 10:00am to 2:00 pm.

By Nola Woods, Public Affairs Director, Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District

The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District (District) confirms more of the invasive mosquito species Aedes aegypti have been found earlier this month at various locations in Antioch. This mosquito species, which has the common name, the Yellow Fever mosquito, is capable of transmitting Zika, dengue fever, Chikungunya, and yellow fever viruses. In response, the District will continue to perform more door-to-door inspections on Saturdays in the area bordered by Highway 4 to the north, Bluerock Drive to the south, Lone Tree Way to the west, and Deer Valley Road to the east.

The District first identified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Antioch in late September, when they were collected during a backyard inspection. As additional trapping and inspections were conducted in the neighborhood, more invasive mosquitoes were found prompting the District to set mosquito traps throughout the area and conduct door-to-door inspections to determine how widespread the infestation is. During these inspections, we have found mosquito larvae (young mosquitoes) in common backyard items that can hold water, including potted plant saucers, buckets, wheelbarrows, fountains, and toys. As more adult and young mosquitoes are found, the District’s search area continues to expand.

“The fact that we continue to find young and adult mosquitoes as we expand our search area suggests this mosquito population may have been in Antioch for at least several months. We will continue to conduct surveillance and inspections until the weather cools this year and mosquito activity becomes less likely,” said Steve Schutz, Ph.D., Scientific Programs Manager.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are very small (about 1/4 inch), with black bodies and white stripes. They were first introduced to Southern California more than 10 years ago. Since then, they have moved from Southern California to Shasta County and are now established in 24 counties across the state. Because these mosquitoes lay sticky eggs above the water line in any size container that holds water, they can be transported to new areas easily and are often introduced through travel, particularly as people move from area to area and accidentally transport these mosquitoes in potted plants or other outdoor containers.

To reduce the risk of these mosquitoes, it is important that residents:

• Dump out any amount of standing water.
• Place liquid soap on a scrub brush, and scrub the now-empty bird baths, containers, outdoor pet dishes, garden pots, buckets, potted plant saucers, and anything else that can hold water outdoors to remove the stick eggs.
• Report any day-biting mosquitoes by calling the District at (925) 685-9301 or online.

Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District, an independent special district and public health agency, is located at 155 Mason Circle in Concord.

UPDATE: The strike votes took place and would impact three clinics in Contra Costa County: Fresenius West Antioch, DaVita Concord and Fresenius Brentwood.

Margin of 97% in favor as Fresenius, DaVita, U.S. Renal and Satellite violate workers’ rights instead of improving working conditions and care for patients receiving life-saving treatments 

Strike votes come as more Fresenius clinic workers join SEIU-UHW amid growing momentum for industry-wide change

By Renée Saldaña, Press Secretary, SEUI – United Healthcare Workers West

OAKLAND, Calif. — Dialysis workers across California are preparing for unprecedented strikes aimed at addressing unfair labor practices over companies’ illegal union-busting tactics.  Workers are also concerned with unsafe working conditions. The same day the strike vote results were announced, frontline workers at Fresenius Kidney Care West March in Stockton voted to unite with SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), marking another victory in the ongoing historic wave of unionization at dialysis clinics across the state.

The strikes, which could involve approximately 900 frontline healthcare workers at more than 38 clinics statewide, represent a critical turning point in the fight to hold dialysis corporations accountable for prioritizing profits at the expense of patient care. 

Dialysis caregivers are calling for executives at DaVita, Fresenius, Satellite Healthcare, and U.S. Renal Care to bargain with them in good faith over solutions to chronic staffing shortages, patient care concerns, and their demands for fair wages and to stop employing union-busting tactics in response to workers exercising their right to form their unions. They say this action is necessary to stop unfair labor practices and secure safer conditions for both workers and patients. The workers also want their employers to stop retaliating against caregivers who advocate for their rights and better patient care. 

“After years of unsafe staffing, substandard working conditions, and anti-union behavior by management, dialysis workers have had enough,” said Easen PeBenito, a certified clinical hemodialysis technician at Satellite Healthcare Blossom Valley in San Jose. “We’re taking this stand not just for ourselves, but for the patients whose lives depend on safe and compassionate care. Dialysis executives have ignored our concerns and violated our rights for far too long, and our strike is a last resort to stop Satellite’s illegal behavior and demand better for everyone.”

For years, healthcare workers at DaVita, Fresenius, Satellite Healthcare, and U.S. Renal Care have raised alarms about understaffing, high turnover rates, low-wages, and unsafe working conditions at dialysis clinics, where patients with critical kidney failure receive life-sustaining dialysis treatments multiple times a week. Caregivers at dialysis clinics across California, from Sacramento to San Diego, have been organizing to improve patient care, working conditions, and job standards.

The historic unionization wave amongst dialysis workers gained even more momentum the same day the strike vote was announced, as workers at Fresenius West March in Stockton voted to join SEIU-UHW despite management’s anti-union campaign which included captive audience meetings, and one-on-one meetings conducted by company executives and a union busting consultant.

“We voted to unionize so we can take better care of our patients and our families,” said Arnold Ballesteros, a patient care technician at Fresenius West March in Stockton. “We’re so short-staffed that we’re constantly rushing to give our patients the attention they deserve. Many of us are working multiple jobs just to get by because our wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living, and we’re paid far less than other healthcare workers. This is why despite management’s anti-union campaign and unfair labor practices we voted overwhelmingly to join SEIU-UHW. By joining the union, we’re gaining the power to fight for safer staffing, better pay, and the ability to provide the best care possible for our patients.  Our strike is a message to our employer to stop committing unfair labor practices.” 

As dialysis workers prepare to strike, the industry faces growing scrutiny from lawmakers and patient advocates, who are calling for reforms to improve transparency, safety, and accountability at dialysis clinics.

UPDATE: The strike votes took place and would impact three clinics in Contra Costa County: Fresenius West Antioch, DaVita Concord and Fresenius Brentwood.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) is a healthcare justice union of more than 100,000 healthcare workers, patients, and healthcare activists united to ensure affordable, accessible, high-quality care for all Californians, provided by valued and respected healthcare workers. Learn more at www.seiu-uhw.org.

NCQA rates Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s Medicare and commercial health plans highest in California, among highest in nation

By Antonia Ehlers, PR and Media Relations, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

OAKLAND, Calif.– Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s health plans are once again recognized as the highest rated in California – and among the highest in the nation – for providing expert, coordinated care, and exceptional service.

Kaiser Permanente’s Medicare and commercial health plans in Northern California each received 4.5 out of 5 stars, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) 2024 Health Plan Ratings. This is the ninth ratings period that Kaiser Permanente Northern California has been the highest-rated plan in the region and among the highest in the country. Nationally, only 8% of the health plans are rated 4.5 stars or higher.

NCQA also ranks Kaiser Permanente Northern California health plans as best in the state for overall treatment, prevention, equity, and patient experience.

“Kaiser Permanente Northern California is a national leader when it comes to putting patient care first, and ensuring we are exceeding our members’ needs with a focus on providing high-quality, safe, and equitable care,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “This NCQA recognition reiterates our commitment to delivering world-class service to those who entrust us with their care.”

For 2024, NCQA analyzed more than 1,000 plans – commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid – for quality and service nationwide. All of Kaiser Permanente’s commercial and Medicare plans received the highest rating, or were tied for the highest rating, in all of the geographic regions we serve. Kaiser Permanente had more 5-star or 4.5-star plans than any other health care organization for the ninth ratings cycle in a row.

“This exceptional rating from NCQA is yet another testament to the expert and coordinated care provided by our clinical teams in Northern California,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “Our highly skilled physicians and dedicated care teams continue to deliver innovative and equitable care that translates to healthier lives for our 4.6 million patients.”

NCQA is a national, private not-for-profit organization that surveys health plans for performance in a wide range of clinical service measures including consumer experience,  prevention, equity, and treatment.

NCQA primarily used the 2023 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, or HEDIS®, to establish its ratings. HEDIS is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care.

The 2024 ratings and methodology are posted on the NCQA’s website at https://www.ncqa.org/.

Young, disabled, English learners and homeless students are coming back too slowly from effects, report states

By Emma Gallegos, EdSource.org, republished with permission

Nearly five years after Covid-19 began, a national report released Tuesday,  Sept. 17, 2024, shows that recovery from the pandemic for students will be a “long slog.”    

“The State of the American Student,” a report by the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) states that the findings are “sobering, daunting, and discouraging,” and that the slow pace of recovery from the pandemic has left an indelible mark on education, with long-term implications for students’ income, racial inequity and social mobility in the United States. 

“If policymakers and educators do not get serious about ensuring these students have access to proven interventions, then we will continue to see the educational impact of the pandemic reverberate for many years, both in our schools and in our economy,” the report stated.

For the last three years, CRPE — a research organization out of the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University — has released annual reports examining the academic, social, emotional and mental health effects of the pandemic on students. CRPE Executive Director Robin Lake said the reports were an attempt to ensure that schools wouldn’t go back to business as usual before students were “made whole.”

Fears that the pandemic would widen pre-existing opportunity gaps have come to fruition, according to the report’s summary of a wide span of research. The report focuses extra attention on certain groups: young children, disabled students, English learners and homeless students, and students who still lag far behind from where they would have been if not for the pandemic. Lake added these groups were largely not well served by schools before the pandemic began.

The report takes a sweeping look at the issues that have been harming students’ recovery since 2020, including chronic absenteeism, staffing shortages, poor teacher morale and student disengagement. These are all signs pointing to a pandemic recovery effort that will require a “long haul.”

Struggling students need more attention

Currently, schools are facing “gale-force” headwinds trying to address these challenges, the report states. Pandemic-era funding is drying up, declining school enrollment is stretching district finances, and many educators are facing burnout. But the worst part is that the problem is underappreciated, Lake said.

“Perhaps the most concerning thing to us is how little discussion there is about these problems,” Lake said. 

Politicians are not talking about pandemic recovery, especially when it comes to the groups that have been struggling the most, she said. For instance, CRPE pointed out how some states, including California, do a poor job communicating data about how students have fared since the pandemic.

Additionally, parents do not seem to know just how far behind their children are — thanks in part to grade inflation and some schools’ poor communication, Lake said.

USC’s Center for Economic and Social Research conducted interviews with the parents of disabled students.

One parent did not learn from the school that their child was failing two courses, making him ineligible to graduate from high school: “I didn’t know until we were in the process of graduation,” the parent told interviewers.

The number of students who are served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has skyrocketed in recent years. It dipped during the peak of the pandemic when school campuses were closed, but surged again as students returned to the classrooms. It’s not clear why, but different theories have emerged.

While it states that kindergartners who have not attended preschool are more likely to have academic and social struggles, including a rising number of behavioral issues and speech delays, the report notes that students who start school behind their peers may be being over-identified as having a disability or that the high numbers could be because students who might have simply been treading water in a previous era are now being correctly identified as having a disability.

The problems faced by disabled students exemplify many of the biggest struggles of pandemic recovery efforts in schools. Disabled students’ academic performance has long lagged behind other students, but that gap has widened in the wake of the pandemic. The teacher shortage is particularly acute among special education teachers, now that they are needed most. Meanwhile, some effective efforts, such as tutoring, are not reaching disabled students. Low expectations for students with disabilities is a crisis that has failed to garner proper attention and resources, Lake said.

One parent interviewed for the report said that getting help for their disabled students required constant fighting. “Multiple times, they promised in-person, in-school tutoring — which they just were understaffed and were never able to find anyone,” the parent said.

Another parent said that without speech therapy, their son with epilepsy fell behind in school during the pandemic.

“He fell further behind because my husband and I tried our best, but we can only do so much if you’re not a teacher, which is very frustrating,” the parent said in an interview.

Recovery solutions are straightforward

The strategies that helped schools recover have “not been rocket science,” Lake said. 

Many schools have been successful with programs such as tutoring, high-quality curricula, extending learning time and improving communication with parents. Some schools are making these strategies a permanent part of the school experience, which is good news: Tutoring and small-group instruction are some of the most powerful tools schools have at their disposal, the report states.

But scaling can be tricky, and many of the students who need help the most are not getting it, CRPE notes. Fewer than half of students who most needed that help enrolled in summer school, according to a Rand study, and just 1% of eligible students in Louisiana enrolled in a tutoring program for struggling readers.

The report recommends focusing on the specific needs of struggling students, such as students with a disability or English learners, rather than so-called average students. Addressing the issues that these students are struggling with will pay dividends for the broader student population, Lake said.

Some schools are demonstrating that recovery is possible, even if it’s not the dominant story right now. Students and educators alike are struggling, but there is a renewed understanding of the crucial role that school plays in a community. That has led to some schools rebuilding and strengthening that institution.

“During the pandemic, you remember, there was so much talk about more joyful education, more engaging, more flexible,” Lake said. “We think that that has actually taken hold.”

Emma Gallegos covers equity issues in education and is based in California’s Central Valley.